Freckles appear as a protective mechanism against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jill S. Waibel. Sun exposure stimulates the skin to produce melanin, the pigment that creates the many shades of human skin and also allows the skin to tan.
Melanin scatters ultraviolet rays, that is, they send the rays in different directions, so they do not penetrate the skin and damage its DNA. However, some areas of the skin have more of this pigment than others, and these melanin-rich spots are called freckles, explains the specialist. Therefore, freckles are more visible in the summer and disappear or lighten in the months when UV radiation is less intense.
However, not all freckles respond the same way to seasonal sun exposure, says another board-certified dermatologist and director of clinical research at Icon Dermatology and Aesthetics, Dr. Rebecca Kazin.
There are two main types of freckles: ephelides, which people commonly think of as freckles, and lentigines, also known as liver spots or age spots. Both types of freckles are more common in fair-skinned people and those with a genetic predisposition to them. However, lentigine spots do not disappear in winter, like ephelides, says R. Kazin.
The most common freckles, she says, are small, light brown in color and appear on the skin most exposed to the sun: the face, arms and shoulders. These freckles usually darken and then disappear, while lentigines are related to accumulated sun damage to the skin and do not go away.
Lenticular spots tend to be larger and darker than ephelides, and they’re more common in older people, says Kazin. Also known as sunspots, lentigines occur when UV radiation damages the skin’s DNA, changing the behavior of melanin-producing cells, according to a 2014 study. in a review published in the journal Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research. These changes in gene activity increase the number and level of production of these melanin producers, resulting in skin spots where the melanin pigment accumulates and accumulates.
Lenticular spots are not cancerous and do not require treatment, but they can resemble some skin cancers. If you are worried about the spot or if you notice that it is changing rapidly, it is worth consulting a doctor.
Well, sun kisses—as freckles are often called—are harmless, but it might be a good reminder for those who get freckles easily to wear sunscreen every day, according to Live Science.
