Freckles and epidermal pigment: the nBOM Lentigo Package

Hello. This is Dr. Lee Yumin of MeSOnBom Clinic.

In magazines and similar media, freckles are used to suggest an innocent, girlish look, a naturally sun-kissed mood, or the vintage, expressive atmosphere of an overseas model.

The reality is quite different.

They make makeup difficult, and can make a face look older than it is.

They appear more readily on people with thin skin, and are a concern for a great many people.

So today we would like to talk about how freckles can be improved.

Freckles are a representative pigmented lesion caused mainly by UV exposure and genetic factors. Increased melanocyte activity produces small brown spots on the surface of the skin.

They develop more easily on skin that is thin and reacts sensitively in terms of melanin, and are often seen from childhood.

UV light promotes melanin production, and is the main environmental cause of existing freckles darkening and increasing in number.

From an aesthetic point of view, a large number of freckles can make the skin tone look uneven and give an overall impression of dullness.

For anyone who values a clear, clean-looking complexion, that is a real drawback.

Areas of concentrated pigment can also read like shadow, leading to comments that you look tired or older.

Many people find base makeup difficult. Applied thinly the pigment shows through; applied thickly to cover it, the makeup looks heavy — which limits how freely you can express yourself with makeup.

As a doctor who meets and assesses many women with this concern, I feel a certain relief when I see someone worried about freckles.

Freckles gather mainly in the epidermal layer, so among the various pigment conditions they are comparatively straightforward to treat.

The Lentigo Package we offer is our own solution, and we recommend it readily to those troubled by freckles.

All three lasers are set to a mode and energy at which a thin crust can come away.

Across a number of freckle cases treated with the Lentigo Package, about three sessions were generally enough to show a clear result.

For that reason we usually recommend three sessions.

Depending on how widely the freckles are spread, how many there are and the condition of the skin, we sometimes recommend around six.

After a first treatment, fine crusts form.

This is a natural part of the healing process — as the crust comes away, the freckle comes away with it.

That is also why the Lentigo Package uses modes that produce a thin crust.

The crust usually comes away naturally within one to two weeks, and with repeated treatment suited to the skin, freckles become considerably lighter.

The more slowly the crust comes away, the more smoothly and cleanly the skin regenerates, without red marks from the treatment.

A case treated with the Lentigo Package at our clinic, photographed two days after treatment.

We recommend it for this skin type: the photograph shows a patient two weeks after three sessions at four-week intervals, in the order IPL → Clarity2 → pico.

Some people use a hydrocolloid dressing because the crusts are noticeable and they want to recover quickly.

That is not what we recommend with the Lentigo Package.

We suggest avoiding them.

A hydrocolloid dressing makes the crust come away faster, which can work against the improvement of the freckles.

Instead, we recommend applying a regenerative ointment generously for a week to keep the skin moist.

You may wear makeup and cleanse as usual. Cleansing gently and lightly makes for effective aftercare.

Did you know that lesions which look identical to the eye may not be the same thing?

Freckles are usually a pigment condition of the epidermal layer, arising from genetic factors or sun exposure.

But there are pigment conditions that look very similar to the naked eye.

Acquired nevus of Ota, junctional nevus and early solar lentigo are the main examples.

Confusing them with melasma is the most dangerous.

If a laser is applied at an output suited to freckles when the lesion is in fact melasma, the melasma can be stimulated and the pigment can come up darker.

The depth and nature of the pigment are entirely different, so the treatment must be different too.

That is why assessment goes beyond simply looking, and is carried out closely and carefully.

A multi-wavelength skin analyser is the main tool.

Using light at particular wavelengths, it puts a figure on melanin distribution in the epidermis and dermis and reveals latent pigment invisible to the eye, which helps greatly in reading the character of the lesion accurately.

Taking a history and analysing skin type is the core of the doctor's work.

Only by bringing together when the freckles appeared, how the skin responds to sun and any past skin treatments can the safest and most appropriate energy level be set.

The heart of freckle treatment is not simply removing them, but knowing exactly what they are before removing them.

Reading your own skin accurately is the fastest and safest route to a clear complexion.

Beyond devising the Lentigo Package, we provide treatment tailored to each person so that it is as effective as it can be.

We carry aftercare through thoroughly as well, so that you can keep clear skin without recurrence.

Thank you for reading to the end.