These are light brown small flat spots that appear on areas of sun exposed skin such as the cheeks and nose. They are usually present at a young age and tend to increase with age. Freckles can be reduced and lightened by avoiding sun exposure and with the regular use of sunscreens and skin lightening creams. If creams and sun avoidance still do not give satisfactory results, they can be safely removed with intense pulsed light therapy or pigment laser treatment. Most patients will require about four to six treatment sessions to obtain optimal results.