Freckles (ephelides): origins, when do they appear, protect your skin?

Once perceived as signs of witchcraft, freckles are now the must have beauty standards. They intensify as soon as the sun comes up, and gradually fade when winter comes. For some they are a source of complex, but others find them a certain charm, to the point of displaying fake splashes. The point on this physical particularity.

The real freckles, the ephelides, are small flat spots that increase with the seasons and exposure to the sun. The Greek origin of their scientific name precisely betrays the way in which they appear: it comes from the Latin ephelisitself from the Greek ephelisderived from helios (meaning “sun”) andear (meaning “resulting from”).

They should not be confused with moles (often in relief) or brown spots, legititis. The latter are also formed following an accumulation of melanin at the level of the cells, but they generally do not evolve according to exposure to the sun.

Freckles can be scattered across the face. They are mainly found on cheeks, bridge of nose, chin and forehead. But they can also adorn the whole body! People with phototypes 1 to 3 can indeed have freckles on the shoulders, neckline, back, arms, legs, etc.

The color of these spots may vary from one person to another: they can be red, ocher, brown and have several shades.

Freckles are actually skin lesions, caused by hyperpigmentation of the skin. Their appearance is related to MC1R gene, which regulates skin and hair color. Specifically, it controls the proportion of eumelanin (brown-black melanin) and pheomelanin (yellow-orange melanin, less resistant to the sun) produced by skin cells.

MC1R proteins, when functioning, are responsible for changing pheomelanin into eumelanin. But when they are inactive, or defective, we produce more pheomelanin, and are therefore more likely to see these famous freckles appear. Because ? Pheomelanin accumulates in the cells and ends up pigmenting them.

Freckles are not carcinogenic in themselves. Unlike moles, they cannot degenerate into melanoma. However, they show greater skin sensitivity and must be protected from ultraviolet rays.

Freckles develop little by little, during growth and according to exposure to the sun. Babies are not born with speckled faces, these distinctive marks appear in childhood. In some cases, they disappear in adulthood. But most of the time, they do not cease to be stimulated by exposure to the sun and persist throughout adult life.

Freckles are not the prerogative of people with red or very blond hair. In fact, they can relate to all people with fair to very fair skini.e. phototypes 1, 2 or 3, no matter their hair color! However, people with light hair have freckles more often because they usually carry a mutation in the MCR1 gene, also known as the “freckle gene”. This mutation can be passed down genetically from a parent and does not always go hand in hand with hair color.

Freckles have long been hidden under thick layers of foundation. But they are now proudly displayed on faces. How to highlight them naturally? In summer, nothing could be simpler, just leave your skin bare, protected by a colorless SPF cream, to counter sunburn. In case of imperfections, opt for a lightly tinted and protective BB Cream.

When the sun’s rays are scarcer, it is possible to opt for treatments enriched with vitamin C to eliminate dull complexion and highlight your freckles. Caution, however, vitamin C products are photosensitivetherefore to be used preferably in the evening, without exposure to the sun.

The secret to making up your skin and unifying your complexion when you have freckles is to bet on transparent textures. Foundations that are too covering and too mattifying will completely camouflage your dark spots. Better to opt for a water-based foundation, which pulls slightly towards the rosé. A foundation that tends towards yellow or gold will tend to gray freckles. On the application side, take your precautions and Avoid putting foundation all over. Apply it in small strokes, favoring virgin areas and avoiding areas with freckles.

If covering makeup is not enough to overcome your complexes, it is possible to make an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss the possible options. Some specialists offer treatments which reduce or eliminate freckles. But this is purely aesthetic, as they have no impact on health.

There are local solutions: hydroquinone or kojic acid creamswhich slow down the depigmentation process of the skin. Laser or pulsed light sessions can also be proposed, under strict dermatological control. The principle ? The laser creates a combustion, the melanin is then burned and destroyed. Several sessions are necessary to obtain a conclusive result. Some peels can also be effective.

If you are not naturally endowed with freckles, do not expect to expose yourself to the sun to make them appear. Opt instead for these different techniques that allow you to create fake ones, sometimes more real than life!

There are now specific pencils ( freckles pencils) that allow you to draw fake freckles: the Freckle Pencil ofOther Stories where the Freckle Pencil of TopShop. But a simple eyebrow pencil, or even a lip pencil brown also do the trick! Only condition: the mine must be perfectly cut so that the points are as light as possible.

How to use it: just add small dots where you want to create your fake freckles and then blend them in by hand, or using a foundation sponge (without rubbing or smooth the skin). Important detail: draw them randomly and in different sizes. Too symmetrical, they would reveal the artifice! And for a 100% natural result, use several different shades, depending on your skin tone (from taupe to warm brown, for example). Last tip: start by making just a few, then add more as you go according to the desired result.

For a more lasting result, opt for the self-tanner, which will persist for several days. First select a “special face” self-tanner. Then take a fine make-up brush and take small drops of this same self-tanner that you place gently (and sparingly) on the areas where you want to see freckles appear. Then take your pain in patience, the freckles will appear after a few minutes, even a few hours. To eliminate them more quickly afterwards, consider a gentle exfoliation.

Be careful with henna, however., sometimes promoted on social media. The latter can cause allergic reactions… On the program: redness, irritation and itching. Not to mention that depending on the type of pigments, and their quality, their color can quickly change.

Yes, it is possible to get a tattoo of freckles that are a perfect illusion. This semi-permanent make-up technique consists of use nano-needles to insert organic pigments under the skin, freehand (same principle as microblading). Fake spots disappear on average after 5 years, depending on skin type, sun exposure, etc. After the session, the healing takes about ten days, during which we avoid the sun, saunas, hammams and make-up.

And if you regret your tattoo, it is possible to make up for it by adding pigments, or to make the pigments disappear by performing tattoo removal: the expert inserts a product under the skin which extracts the pigment. The laser can also break down the pigment and allow the body to eliminate it. Otherwise, there is the foundation option.