Freckless? Your Official Guide to Freckles Removal in Singapore

Frustrated by your freckles? While these dark spots are harmless, they can grow bigger and darker if you don’t treat them right away. “The sooner you tackle the problem, the less treatments you’ll need,” said Miami-based dermatologist Dr. Jill Waibel. Start clearing those spots with the Beauty Insider guide to freckles removal in Singapore.  

What are freckles?

Freckles (also called ephelides) are a kind of hyperpigmentation, which is caused when your skin produces too much melanin. They tend to be very lighter and smaller than moles, and are usually spread out in clusters or patches on your face and body. It’s more common to get freckles on areas that are regularly exposed to the sun, like your cheeks, shoulders, back, arms and hands.

Freckles can run in the family. Scientists have linked it to the MC1R gene, which controls your skin and hair colour. If you don’t have this gene, you won’t get freckles but you can still develop other forms of hyperpigmentation.

Freckles are often confused with sun spots. However, freckles are generally lighter, smaller and have blurry edges. Sun spots are larger and darker and very defined—like a dot left by a permanent marker. And while freckles can appear early in childhood, sun spots usually show up in the late 40s from decades of sun exposure.  

Freckles Removal Singapore Tips

Freckles may be genetic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prevent them or treat them. Here’s what you can do every day to get a clearer, spotless complexion.

Wear sunscreen every day

The best way to get rid of freckles is to START USING SUNSCREEN.  Freckles get darker from UV exposure, which is why your skin will often look spotty after going to the beach or spending a lot of time outdoors.

Sunscreen won’t make freckles go away, but they can help fade them and prevent new ones from forming. And, you’ll also protect yourself from all the other effects of sun exposure: uneven skin tone, dryness, early lines and wrinkles, sunburn and a higher risk of skin cancer.

Choose a sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 (or even SPF 50 if you have fair skin or spend a lot of time in the sun). You should apply it every day, at least 15 minutes before you leave your home. UV rays can penetrate windows and clouds, so wear sun protection even if it’s a cloudy day or you’re just staying in the office.  

Avoid the “peak hours”

Stay out of the sun from 11 am to 3 pm. If you need to go out, be sure to reapply sunscreen and bring an umbrella!  

Keep cool

Ever wonder why your freckles get darker during a beach/outdoor trip, even if you wore lots of SPF and even wore a hat? That’s because heat triggers inflammation, which increases melanin production. “A red, overheated face will wake up pigment cells,” says celebrity aesthetician Renée Rouleau. Cool down with face mists or cooling gel masks. If you don’t have any on hand, wash your face or rub an ice cube on it—mmmm, refreshing!

Exfoliate

You can’t scrub away the freckles, but you can shed dead skin cells that may contain excess melanin. Look for brightening facial scrubs or peels with ingredients like Vitamin C, AHAs, and glycolic acid.

However, you shouldn’t overexfoliate either. Not only does this dry out your skin, but it can trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The skin produces more melanin as part of its natural response to heal damaged skin. Two or three times a week is enough. If you use a facial brush and have normal skin, you may even skip the exfoliating scrub completely—or only do it occasionally, as your skin needs it. 

Freckles Removal Singapore Products

There are so many great products that can help lighten freckles and other hyperpigmentation. Here are a few of our favourites.

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

Buy now: $94, Kiehl’s Singapore

It’s clinically proven to decrease hyperpigmentation by 49%. It contains activated Vitamin C, which works faster and penetrates the skin more efficiently. It also contains white birch extract and peony extract to improve skin elasticity and thickness, and work synergistically with the Vitamin C to reverse discoloration.

Estee Lauder Enlighten

Buy now: $118.50, Qoo10

It combines plum blossom extracts with breakthrough ingredients –  biomimetic enzyme anddimethoxytolyl propylresoricnol – that break down freckles and prevent new ones from appearing. It also has cucumber and sunflower to soothe the skin.

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

Buy now:$40.00 – $105.00, Drunk Elephant Singapore

Retinol is one of the best ingredients for fading freckles and other forms of pigmentation. But if you have sensitive skin, try this gentle retinol formula. It combines 1.0% vegan retinol with nourishing, superfood-rich ingredients to even out your skin tone without any irritation.

Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum

Buy now: now on sale for $154.90, Shopee

Fade freckles, fast! This contains two percent concentration of hydroquinone (a clinically proven skin lightener), glycolic acid to exfoliate the skin, and skin brightening peptides.

Target Pro Whitening Freckle Corrector by Watsons

Buy now: $28.90, Shopee

This really affordable freckle cream is made in Japan, and contains the special “Diamond Sirt” anti-ageing and brightening formula. It acts like an essential DNA protector, prevents skin cell damage and delays skin cell degeneration. The tranexamic acid helps fade pigmentation and prevent new ones from forming.

Freckles Removal Singapore Treatments

If you wish to remove freckles quickly, or treat dark and deep freckles that don’t fade with time, consider getting clinical treatments.

Lasers

Lasers are one of the best ways to remove freckles permanently. They release powerful pulses of heat energy that can break apart pigments in the skin. Study results showed treatment with this laser lightened more than 50 percent of freckles in 62 percent of participants.

Laser treatments for freckles have minimal side effects. You may experience redness, swelling and peeling for a few days. The risk for infection and scarring are low, especially if you follow your doct’rs advice and precautions. Depending on your case, multiple sessions may be needed to achieve desired results.

Cryosurgery

This treatment uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy abnormal skin cells. It may be sprayed on the area or applied with a cotton bud. You may feel some stinging and burning, but this goes away after a few minutes. A blister will form, which will then develop into a small scab and fall off naturally.  

Chemical peels

Chemical peels help melt dead skin cells on the surface layer, and encourage new skin cells to form. Aside from fading freckles, this treatment can also even out skin tone and bring out your natural radiance.

Expect redness and peeling in the days after the treatment. Your skin will need about two weeks to heal, so you should take proper precautions (like a gentle skincare regimen, and avoiding the sun). To avoid infection, your doctor will prescribe some ointments.