A cosmetic surgeon has performed 'thousands' of freckle removal treatments on patients aged in their 20s to 70s and said its popularity comes from feeling like 'you're starting fresh again'.
Dr Naomi McCullum, who is based in Sydney, owns The Manse Clinic and regularly removes spots from clients' faces, forearms and legs.
'We use an energy based device, similar to a laser. The light wavelength is attracted to pigmentation in the sun damaged skin,' she told FEMAIL.
Dr Naomi McCullum , who is based in Sydney, owns The Manse Clinic and regularly removes spots from client's faces, forearms (pictured) and legs
'It heats it up and then over the next week to month the freckles and sun damage crumble away leaving fresh, clear skin.'
Most freckle removal requests come from lighter-skinned patients (those classified as Fitzpatrick skin type I and II) but they do occasionally see people with type III or Asian and Mediterranean type skin, which is darker.
Results are noticeable within one week but might take upwards of four for some individuals depending on which area of the face or body is treated.
The face heals the fastest and the legs are usually slowest.
'It heats it up and then over the next week to month the freckles and sun damage crumble away leaving fresh, clear skin,' she said (stock image)
How does freckle removal work?
The light pulse range of specific wavelengths passes through the hand piece of the device to the skin, penetrating the tissue and targeting the pigmentation.
It is absorbed by the melanin when treating pigmented lesions, damaging them with heat.
The body's natural processes then remove the injured pigmented tissue, which leaves the skin more clear, youthful and fresh.
<!- - ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/femail/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 - ->Advertisement'On the body, patients like removing the freckles on their arms, legs, chest and back,' she said.
'We find that anyone who starts freckle removal in one area loves the results and wants to remove the freckles from all areas of their body.'
There are lots of different kinds of patients Dr Naomi and her clinic work with.
'They can be younger patients who don't like their freckles and want really clear skin, or older patients who have always been annoyed by their freckles or sun damage, and finally decide to do something about it,' she said.
A single treatment on the face will set you back $690 and for body areas it's slightly more, with forearms costing $880 per cycle
'We also see the resistant cases from around Australia who have been to clinics and had poor results with other freckle removal treatments.'
A single treatment on the face will set you back $690 and for body areas it's slightly more, with forearms costing $880 per cycle.
While results are usually seen after the first round, Dr Naomi recommends three treatments for the best coverage and removal.
Despite the steep price, she can easily see why it's fast becoming one of the most popular treatments in Australia.
While results are usually seen after the first round, Dr Naomi (pictured) recommends three treatments for the best coverage and removal
'When patients have looked down onto motley, sun damaged skin on their body for their whole life, and then we remove that, leaving a fresh, clean and clear surface, it's the best feeling for them,' she said.
'Their skin even feels softer as well. It's like starting again and getting a second chance with your skin, which is a beautiful feeling.'
But just like any cosmetic treatment there is a small amount of risk involved each time you get a freckle removed.
'The main risks are blistering from the device, hyperpigmentation (skin going darker) and hypopigmentation (skin going lighter),' she said.
'We often patch test a small area prior to starting to reduce the risk of these issues before we perform them on a larger area.'
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