Novel Preventive and Therapeutic Strategies for Ephelides (Freckles) from a Persian Medicine Perspective: A Narrative Review

Freckles are common pigmented lesions frequently observed on the face and other sun-exposed areas of the skin. Ephelides have an autosomal dominant inheritance, indicating that melanocyte activity and sun exposure are significant risk factors for the development of these lesions. The importance of freckles can be discussed from two perspectives of cosmetics and their complications. This research is the first step in gaining access to extensive scientific and experimental resources of Persian medicine (PM). "Barash" and "Namash" are the equivalent terms for freckles in medieval manuscripts of Persia. Therefore, words related to "Barash & Namash" from PM ancient manuscripts and other relevant keywords were searched in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Extracted results were subsequently compared and recorded under the following classification. The clinical symptoms of freckles were similar to those of "Namash & Barash" diseases. Different therapeutic methods to treat such diseases in PM include lifestyle modification, medication, and manual intervention. There are several preventive and therapeutic methods for the management of freckles. Further research is required in this regard to identify more academic evidence.