It’s all very well having a few cute sun-kisses to go with your summer tan, but too many freckles can be a real problem.

Most freckles are caused by exposure to the sun, and how many of them you get depend on your skin pigmentation. But we’re all more prone to freckles as we get older, and they can also be the first signs of serious skin conditions or other illnesses, especially if they change size or colour.

Traditional ways of getting rid of freckles or age spots include lemon or strawberry juice applied to the skin. More modern do-it-yourself methods range from face masks and creams to skin peels and laser or microdermabrasion treatment.

Microdermabrasion is a type of exfoliation treatment especially popular for dealing with blemishes, such as age spots and freckles. Its usually carried out in a skin clinic, but now there is a wide choice of products for use at home. The products are simple to use & they consist mainly of a crystal-based abrasive cream or scrub and a battery-powered tool with a sponge applicator (the microderm-machine). The procedure involves three basic steps:

Fit the applicator onto the tool and dip it into the cream. Dot it over clean, dry skin.

Switch on the tool (most have two speeds, a regular one and a lower one for sensitive skin) and use it to massage the cream gently into your skin, paying special attention to freckled or blemished areas. This should take no more than two minutes.

Rinse off the surplus cream and crystals.

It really is that simple. However, you probably won’t see much result straight away. Most people find they need to repeat the treatment about three times a week, usually for several weeks. After that time you should notice a clear improvement.