Is Sunscreen the Answer to Freckle Prevention? Uncovering the Truth
If you look at a newborn baby, you'll notice they won't have a single freckle on their skin. Babies aren't born with any freckles on their bodies, and most of them won't develop freckles for at least a few years.
This has led to a lot of speculation about freckles and where they come from. Countless studies have been done on freckles and much has been learned about them. But there are still questions about what causes sudden freckles to appear and what can be done to prevent freckles from showing up on a person's skin.
"Does sunscreen prevent freckles?" is one of the most common questions that is asked. Many people hope that wearing sunscreen will at the very least reduce freckles and help them avoid having to take drastic measures to get rid of freckles.
So, will sunscreen prevent freckles from appearing on your skin? Find out the answer to this question and other questions related to freckles below.
What Are Freckles?
Most people have at least a few freckles on their skin. They can't always remember when these freckles appeared. But they've become very common among those in Europe and other parts of the world.
But despite the fact that so many people have freckles, not everyone knows what they are. So before we get into answering questions like, "Does sunscreen prevent freckles?", let's start things off by explaining what freckles are.
Freckles are small spots on a person's skin that consist of cells called melanocytes that produce pigment. More often than not, they're flat and appear to be circular in nature. They'll only be somewhere between 1 millimeter and 2 millimeters wide in most cases.
The good news for those with freckles is that the vast majority of them will be completely harmless. But they can alter the appearance of your skin. They come in a variety of colors, including black, red, and different shades of brown.
What Causes Freckles?
As we alluded to earlier, babies aren't born with freckles, and most people who are still on the younger side won't have any freckles, either. But as people begin to get older, it isn't out of the ordinary for them to start to get freckles. So, what is it that causes them?
Studies have suggested that freckles form on a person's skin when their skin is exposed to the sun and its ultraviolet rays. When this happens, a person's skin may produce more melanin than usual, and it can cause freckles to start to appear. Freckles are essentially the body's way of protecting skin from the sun's UV rays.
But it's worth noting that not everyone who is exposed to the sun and its UV rays will end up with freckles. This is where things can start to get a little confusing when it comes to freckles.
Genetics also seems to play a big part in the formation of freckles on a person's skin. People with certain genetic traits will form freckles more than others because of how their bodies react to sun exposure.
People with lighter skin will also often form freckles more than those with darker skin because their skin will produce more melanin when it's exposed to the sun and its UV rays. To prevent freckles from forming, people who fall into this category will need to provide their skin with the sun protection it needs on a regular basis.
How Does the Sun Cause Freckles?
We just provided you with a basic breakdown of how the sun and its UV rays might cause freckles to show up on your skin. But there is a little more to it.
To provide you with a complete understanding of what part the sun plays in the formation of freckles, we're going to walk you through the different things that will happen when your skin is exposed to the sun. It'll come in handy when it comes to answering the question, "Does sunscreen prevent freckles?", in a few moments.
Here is what leads to the sun and its UV rays causing freckles:
- Sunlight reaches your skin
- Your skin absorbs the UV rays from this sunlight
- Your body begins to produce melanin to protect your skin from these UV rays
- Melanin starts clustering together to create freckles on your skin
- Freckles get lighter and darker over time depending on how often your skin is exposed to the sun
Whether you like the way that freckles look or not, they'll do a lot of good for your skin in certain cases. The melanin that makes up freckles can absorb the sun's UV rays and stop your skin from having to do it. This can allow you to steer clear of letting these UV rays do serious damage to your skin.
Does Sunscreen Prevent Freckles?
Now that you know what freckles are and how the sun and its UV rays can cause them, it's time to discuss how sunscreen can factor into all of this. More specifically, it's time to answer the question, "Does sunscreen prevent freckles?".
You'll be happy to hear that the answer is "yes." If you'd like to prevent freckles from appearing on your skin, putting sunscreen on can help.
How? Well, as we just mentioned, freckles will form on your skin after it absorbs UV rays from the sun. But when you put on sunscreen, it can stop your skin from absorbing these UV rays and prevent your body from having to produce melanin to protect your skin.
That being said, the type of sunscreen you wear will be important as far as the formation of new freckles is concerned. If you routinely wear sunscreen with a low Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, you shouldn't be surprised if you continue to see new freckles.
To prevent freckles, you'll need to choose a sunscreen with an SPF that's on the higher side. The higher this SPF is, the more effective sunscreen will be when it comes to protecting your skin and stopping freckles from forming.
You'll also need to reapply sunscreen multiple times throughout the day if you plan on spending a lot of time out in the sun. Otherwise, sunscreen may wear off and cause your skin to start absorbing the sun's UV rays again.
Additionally, we should point out that there aren't any sunscreens that are 100% effective with regard to blocking the sun's UV rays. So even with sunscreen on, you might still see a few new freckles on your skin when you get home after spending a long day out in the sun.
Which Sunscreen Is Best for Preventing Freckles?
As of 2023, the global sun care products market is worth almost $11 billion. Because of this, there won't be any shortage of options when you go to purchase sunscreen.
So, which sunscreen will work the best when you're trying to reduce freckles? You should pay close attention to a sunscreen's SPF when trying to decide which direction to go in. SHISEIDO Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Gel SPF 50+ is a great example of a sunscreen that can work wonders for your skin.
This sunscreen should set you up with lots of protection from the sun and its UV rays, including both UVA and UVB rays. It's also a wonderful option because it's sweat-proof and water-proof. It contains ingredients that will leave your skin feeling refreshed after you put it on as well.
Is It Possible to Get Rid of Freckles?
If you're still on the younger side and you get into the habit of wearing sunscreen every single time you go out in the sun, you should be able to prevent too many freckles from forming on your skin. But if you've neglected to wear sunscreen on numerous occasions throughout your life and have a lot of freckles now because of it, wearing sunscreen won't make them go away.
There are, however, some other options you might have if you'd like to attempt to get rid of freckles. There are over-the-counter creams and lotions that are formulated to help people get freckles to fade away. There are also many other skin care products that might work well when you want to reduce freckles.
You might also need to give more advanced skin treatments a try if you want to eliminate freckles. Laser therapy treatments, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion are just a few of the options you'll have.
But even if you're able to see real results following these types of treatments, you'll still need to make a push to prevent freckles from popping up again. Wearing the right sunscreen and staying out of the sun as much as possible will be the only surefire ways to fight back against freckles.
Order Sunscreen to Protect Your Skin and Prevent Freckles Here
Have you seen more freckles than you might care for appearing on your skin? Minou & Lily can provide you with the sunscreen you'll need now that you know the answer to the question, "Does sunscreen prevent freckles?"
We also carry a wide range of other skin care products that can help keep your skin in excellent condition. Shop around for these products on our website and place an order for them today.
