A: Nope. These are Hori’s naevi, not freckles.
To the layman’s eyes, these pigmented spots look very similar to freckles. But if you look closely, they actually have a typical slate-brown or greyish hue. Therefore, they are in the same group as Naevus of Ota (Please refer to Q&A Series #24), which means they are due to excessive accumulation of pigment producing cells at the deep dermal layer.
Unlike Naevus of Ota, they are not present at birth. They usually develop in the patient’s late twenties or early thirties. Naevus of Ota is mostly unilateral (on one side of the face), whereas Hori’s naevi are bilateral (affect both sides of the face).
Treatment wise, both are the same. They respond well to Nd YAG Q switched laser, but as you all already know, you may need multiple sessions to get rid of them. Recurrence is possible.
By Dr. Tan
