Getting rid of these freakin' FRECKLES!

[BlondeBabyGirl]

Hi, I am blonde and have been cursed with very fair, Irish skin. I live in Australia and so spent most of my youth on the beach. I am paying for it now with a skin full of freckles. No, not just cute smatterings of them but big ugly moles. I have already had 9 moles removed by a surgeon because they looked cancerous. I am literally not allowed to ever get burnt by the sun again, because my risk of developing skin cancer is so high.

 

Well I was just wondering a few things:

 

1. Is there an age when you stop developing freckles/moles? Is it mostly a youth thing? My mum has similiar skin to me and gets burnt frequently but hasn't developed any large freckles since she hit her 20s.

 

2. I am going to Thailand for a holiday in January - are the UV rays in that country lower than in Australia? I spent 2 weeks in India in 40 degree celcius heat last year and didn't get burnt once because their UV rays were so low. I stand out in 20 degree celcius heat here in Sydney and get fried.

 

3. Is there any other way to remove freckles other than surgery? I have so many horrible scars from where my moles have been removed surgically. Although I want to remove more freckles (so that I don't feel so bloody self conscious all the time), I don't want to be covered in scars.

 

Please help! Thanks all.

[shamen]

I continue to get freckles (not moles) in my mid 30s. I like them.

 

I have never heard of a way to get rid of freckles (not moles). Sorry!

[caz_cheer_jenn]

I love my freckles, but they only become noticeable in the summertime when I am really tan. I get this great, natural smattering of freckles across the tops of my cheeks. They don't bother me...in fact, I think they make me look younger and they remind me how much I love summer. It's sort of a carefree look, and I never cover them up...it's natural.

 

Moles, on the other hand, are another issue. Keep seeing your doctor as new ones crop up, because it sounds as though you will always have to worry about the cancer risk. Unfortunately, I don't think that there is an age when they stop. A friend of mine was diagnosed with melanoma a few years ago (she's 25), and she visits the dermatologist four times a year to have the skin on her entire body examined, head to toe, to keep track of the moles that are there and any that may have developed. They literally have a map drawn of her body and they record where each mole is, the size, color, texture, etc.

 

Just keep an eye on things to make sure you're healthy, and the doc can recommend what should be removed and what should stay.

[rubie]

freckles = hot+++

 

[moimeme]

You should really address all your questions to a dermatologist. In terms of weather in Thailand, you'd have to see if you can maybe contact your local weather office for some information on UV levels.