Dear Bobbie,

Although it's up to you as far as your freckles are concerned, you may not realize that what you want to disappear, others find attractive, similar to a beauty mark. Maybe because they're new visitors to your face's landscape, you haven't given them enough of a chance to settle and see if you would like them to stay. If you would prefer that they leave, you have options.

To slow down or avoid the further development of freckles, as well as to prevent the ones you already have from getting darker, reduce your sun exposure and use sunscreen when you're out in the sun. Some folks try to use bleach to lighten their freckles, but it won't help, plus it can be irritating to the skin. The only way to remove freckles is through laser surgery, which can be costly.

What you may not know is that freckles can be a risk factor for skin cancer (a.k.a., melanoma). According to the American Cancer Society, fair-skinned folks who are prone to freckling or burning are at particularly high risk for skin cancer. Applying sunscreen and limiting or avoiding sun exposure not only help with the freckles, as mentioned earlier, but they have the added benefit of reducing skin cancer risk. If either of these concerns is real to you, or for more information, you might want to see a dermatologist to talk about your options.

Alice

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