Understanding the Difference Between Freckles and Dark Spots | Causes and Characteristics, Home Care and Prevention, and Dermatological Treatments

Source: Clipart Korea

 

If you look closely at your face in the mirror, you'll notice small blemishes. In particular, when you see brown or black spots on your skin, it can be confusing whether they're freckles or age spots. I was curious about the difference between freckles and age spots, so I searched around.

Today, I will explain the differences between freckles and dark spots, from their causes to home care and prevention methods, to dermatological treatments!

1. Causes and characteristics of freckles

- Causes of freckles

1) UV exposure

One of the main causes of freckles is exposure to ultraviolet rays. UV rays stimulate the melanin pigment in the skin, causing freckles. This process, repeated over time, darkens the skin's color.

 

2) Hormonal changes

Hormonal changes are also a cause of melasma. In particular, melasma can easily appear when hormonal changes occur, such as during pregnancy, childbirth, or taking birth control pills.

 

3) Stress

It is also said that hormonal imbalance caused by stress can also be a factor that worsens freckles.

 

- Freckle characteristics

1) Freckles are said to appear on the face as brown spots of various sizes and irregular shapes.

2) It is symmetrical and can appear mainly on the cheeks, forehead, and under the eyes.

3) It is said that it tends to look better on women than on men, and on Asians than on white people.

2. Causes and characteristics of black fungus

- Causes of blackheads

1) The cause of blackheads has not yet been clearly identified.

2) Since it mainly occurs on the face, it is said to be related to sunlight exposure, but a clear causal relationship has not been proven.

 

- Black mushroom characteristics

1) It is said that it mainly occurs in areas that are exposed to a lot of UV rays, such as the face, neck, and chest.

2) It is said that it can occur anywhere on the body other than the face.

3) It is said to appear as a slightly raised spot that is light brown or black in color.

3. Difference between freckles and blackheads

To summarize the differences between freckles and blackheads, they are as follows.

 

1) Cause of occurrence

Freckles are caused by various factors such as ultraviolet rays and hormonal changes, and while dark spots can be affected by ultraviolet rays, the exact cause has not been identified.

 

2) Location of occurrence

Freckles mainly appear in the center of the face, while liver spots can appear all over the body, not just on the face.

 

3) Shape

While freckles have vague borders and irregular shapes, warts have relatively clear borders and protruding surfaces.

4. Home care and prevention of freckles/dark spots

1) UV protection

UV protection is said to be the most important way to prevent freckles and age spots. It's important to thoroughly apply sunscreen before going outside, and physical protection methods like wearing a brimmed hat or parasol can also be helpful.

 

👉Check out the complete guide to UV protection you need to know

 

2) Minimize skin irritation

To reduce skin irritation, it's important to wash your face gently. In particular, since dark spots can easily form in areas subject to frequent friction, excessive scrubbing and rubbing should be avoided.

 

3) Use whitening ampoule

To manage and prevent blemishes, using an ampoule that helps with melanin care can be helpful. The Meladuce Brightening Ampoule contains niacinamide, a whitening ingredient, making it suitable for use as a blemish care ampoule.

 

👉Learn more about the Freckle + Melanin Intensive Care Ampoule

5. Dermatological treatment for freckles/spots

If you have dark spots or freckles that cannot be managed with home care alone, you can seek help from a dermatologist. Here are some helpful dermatological procedures to help improve your condition!

 

1) Pico Toning

If you're concerned about darkening freckles, you might consider pico toning. Pico toning is a laser treatment that helps alleviate freckles by breaking down pigment particles with picoseconds.

The price for the Maypure Pico Toning event is 29,000 won per session, and the price for the first visit event is 9,000 won.

 

👉Improves dark spots and brightens skin tone! Check out the details on Pico Toning.

 

2) Laser toning

Laser toning is a treatment that selectively destroys black melanin pigment using a long laser wavelength of 1064 nm, and is said to help improve freckles, pigmentation, and dark skin tone.

The price of Maypure laser toning is 20,000 won per session.

 

👉Improving freckles and pigmentation! Check out the details on laser toning.

 

3) Meladuse

To improve freckles, you can also try a skin booster treatment. Meladuce is a skin booster that suppresses melanin synthesis, helping to manage freckles and improving skin tone.

The price for the Maypure Meladuce event is 120,000 won per session, and you can receive the treatment for 89,000 won on your first visit.

 

👉Check out Meladuce's detailed information for bright and radiant skin.

 

4) CO2 laser

If you're concerned about age spots, you can opt for a CO2 laser. The CO2 laser uses a carbon dioxide laser with a wavelength of 10,600 nm, and is said to be a helpful treatment for removing age spots, freckles, and flat warts.

The price of the Maypure CO2 laser is said to be 3,000 won per mole.

 

👉Get flawless, clear skin! Check out the CO2 laser details.

 

Source: Clipart Korea

 

While freckles and age spots may seem similar, they are actually different skin concerns in terms of causes and treatments. It's crucial to understand the specific type of spots you have and how to manage them accordingly. I hope you'll take note of the differences between freckles and age spots I've shared today and start taking care of them according to your skin type!

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