Freckles are very common here, the small brown spots that appear across the face, arms and hairline. In the weather extremes of a Pakistani summer they darken noticeably, which is when most people start thinking about treating them.
The good news is that they can be both prevented and removed. Prevention comes first, and it is unglamorous: regular, proper sunscreen, because sun is what darkens them and what brings them back after any treatment.
For removal there are effective, cost-effective options, CO2 laser and electrocautery among them, and the results are visible immediately. Clearing them is the straightforward part.
Keeping them gone is where the sunscreen returns. Without diligent sun protection, freckles recur, and a treatment that worked will look as though it did not. Prevention is not the boring footnote to the procedure; it is half of the treatment.
Associate Professor Dr. Lubna Rani Faysal
MBBS (Gold Medalist), FCPS (Dermatology), MHPE · 13 years in dermatology
