Red freckles on skin: 8 Causes, Symptoms, 7 Treatments
Red freckles are nothing but red spots on the skin, but with a difference. Not all red spots are freckles. The cause of the freckles makes the difference. The dilation of the blood vessels in your skin causes red freckles. Since we have blood vessels all over the body, these freckles may appear in any part.
Red freckles come in different size, shape, and colour. Some spots may be very small, and some may be big. Similarly, the colour varies from bright red freckles, pink freckles to blackish red ones.
What are red freckles?
Image source: pinterest.com
Freckles are also known as ephelides, which means a concentration of cells in a form a cluster. Usually, these cells have a high level of melanin, the colouring pigment for the skin.
Red freckles appear like a cherry fruit resembling the colour red and carry the appearance of a freckle. These are not a big concern to worry above. The collection of the tiny blood vessels makes them appear red. Although it is common, people above 30 years of age are more prone to develop red freckles on the skin.
‘Cherry angiomas’ is the medical term for red freckles. It is a common abnormal growth of skin, which is usually harmless. The alternative terms of ‘cherry angiomas’ is Campbell de Morgan Spots and Senile angiomas.
Rarely, it becomes a concern when you notice bleeding or change in shape or colour of the size of the freckles. Let us see in depth about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of red freckles.
Causes of Red Freckles on Skin:
As stated above, the cluster of blood vessels form these bloody freckles. The actual or accurate cause of the red freckles on the skin is unknown. Some of the common causes that are likely to cause the freckles include the following;
- Genetics – more people are prone to develop red freckles on arm or face due to genetics
- Climate – people with sensitivity to certain climate develop the bloody freckles
- Exposure to chemicals may affect the blood vessels
- Pregnancy – the usual hormonal game
- Certain medical conditions associated with nerves and blood – blood vessels dilation
- Ageing – cherry angiomas is more common in aged people
- Excessive exposure to the sun
- On rare cases, red freckles on skin are linked with skin cancer. It is one of the indications of skin cancer.
Symptoms of Red Freckles:
There are no specific symptoms to red freckles. It appears like a small bump in red colour. Of course, the size of the freckle varies. It appears on the face, arm, neck, back, and leg.
As mentioned earlier, red freckles is an indication of skin cancer or bleeding problems. So, in such cases, the colour of the bumps may turn dark or black. The size of the freckle also becomes large. You may bleed. These signs indicate that you need medical treatment.
Treatment for Red Freckles:
The blood freckles can cause a lot of embarrassment. It can cast on your appearance and attractiveness. Imagine getting red freckles on face! A cluster of red spots on a face is not charming. The concentrated spots do not imply any dreadful health ailment. It may ruin your appearance. So, proper treatment is essential to get rid of red freckles.
In most cases, these freckles fade away on its own without any treatment. You may need treatment for cosmetic reasons. Rarely, you can make a call to get the treatment when the freckles do not subside for a long time.
The freckles are easily treatable in many ways. Following are the treatment options of red freckles.
Laser Treatment:
The most common treatment to get rid of cherry angiomas is laser treatment. It is a simple procedure which involves passing the concentrated laser light on the lesions. It procures enough heat to destroy the cluster of lesions from inside the skin.
Lasers make the best bet to remove red freckles. It can penetrate deep into the skin and reach the root of the problem.
It is a very quick procedure and usually performed as an outpatient procedure. In a majority of cases, you can remove the freckles in one sitting. If you have many angiomas, you may need one to three sessions.
Laser treatment for blood freckles may cause slight bruising and redness of the skin. It may last for one week to ten days.
Light Therapy:
Light therapy is similar to laser treatment, except it isn’t a laser device. Intense Pulsated Light (IPL) is the equipment that treats the freckles.
It functions similar to the laser therapy. The pulsating light targets the lesions and passes the light. In the laser, the light energy converts into heat energy. IPL differs from laser therapy in how it applies the light and heat.
IPL has multiple pulses. It delivers different colours in different wavelengths. Lasers use single wavelength. IPL therapy easily reaches the target area of the skin without using excessive energy. The device has filters to refine the energy.
It has built with ability reach the specific components of your skin, called chromophores which is receptive to the light and absorbs it.
Another major benefit of IPL therapy is, it targets the lower layers of the skin. It doesn’t destroy the top layers of your skin. Without affecting the epidermis (upper layers), it removes the lesions in the dermis (lower layers). It is similar to skin resurfacing and called non-ablative lasers.
The downtime after treatment is minimal. It is an outpatient procedure. It doesn’t affect your skin, nor causes any damage.
Chemical Peels:
The chemical peel is one of the skin resurfacing techniques that remove the top layers of the skin. Different types of peels are available for different skin problems.
It is like a face wash, but with mild chemicals. Freckles get fade away with light chemical peels. You may need multiple sessions of chemical peels to get rid of red freckles. Glycolic acid makes the best chemical to start with.
Creams:
Different types of medicated and dermatology creams are available in the marketplace. To treat the bloody freckles, you can try these two creams.
Tretinoin Creams:
It helps to clear away the dark spots, acne and freckles. You can apply the tretinoin cream at night and rest for 30 minutes. Wash it after 30 minutes. Do not use this during daytime. Do not use this cream with other skin products.
Bleaching Creams:
You can find some bleaching creams formulated with the skin-friendly ingredients. It fades away the freckles gradually.
Bleaching creams come in different propositions in the different combination of ingredients. Find your skin type and pick the cream with ingredients that don’t harm your skin.
Electro-cauterization:
The term electro cauterisation may appear daunting; the procedure is very simple and familiar too. It is a non-invasive surgical treatment that burns the angiomas. The physician uses a tiny probe through which electric current is delivered on the angiomas. It burns the lesions.
It is a simple treatment. A ground pad is placed on the body to prevent the surge of electricity.
Cryo Surgery:
If you do not want to zit or zap or burn the lesions, you can freeze it. How cool is this treatment?
Cryosurgery involves freezing the angiomas with liquid nitrogen. Frozen lesions naturally destroy and eliminate from the skin. This is very quick, relatively easy and hassle-free procedure.
It is just like wiping your face with a tissue. It takes a few seconds to apply liquid nitrogen on the affected spots. In a few minutes, the entire procedure completes. There is no need for post-procedure care. Besides, it is easy to apply liquid nitrogen on any part of the skin.
Home Remedies:
There are plenty of home remedies you can try to get rid of red freckles. While some may turn out to be very effective, some may take a longer time. Following are the few home remedies to remove the bloody freckles.
- Aloe Vera – it is a miraculous herb, a blessing in disguise for your skin. Aloe vera has amazing medicinal properties. Aloe vera makes the best skin remedy for most skin problems. Apply the fresh aloe vera gel on the freckles. In a few weeks to a couple of months, the freckles gradually fade away.
- When the red freckles on skin or red freckles on arms are small, you can gently rub the skin with ice cubes.
- Cut a red onion and rub the slice on the affected spot.
- Rub the sliced tomato or apply the ground tomato pulp in the affected the spot. Tomato is the natural sunblock.
While the home remedies may help you reduce the visibility of the freckles, do not attempt to remove it with any tools at home. The freckles may bleed profusely, which can lead to infection. Also, it increases the risk of scarring.
When you should be Concerned:
Freckles are harmless. They are benign. If it turns itchy, dark or painful, you should seek immediate medical attention. The symptoms are likely to be an indication of some serious skin condition. It could suggest cancer or may indicate a mass of blood block.
