Ephelis

Did You Know?

• Liver spots, also known as sunspots and lentigines, look like large freckles but form after years of sun exposure and are more common in older people.
• Freckles are different from lentigines and moles, which are caused by accumulation of melanocytes in a small area.
• Of the six Fitzpatrick skin types, freckles are most common on skin tones 1 and 2, which usually belong to North Europeans.

Biology

Freckles, known medically as ephelides, form when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Ultraviolet B radiation triggers melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment, to ramp up melanin production, which makes existing freckles darker and more noticeable. A person who has never had freckles can suddenly develop them after prolonged time in the sun. While most common on the face, freckles can appear on any part of the body that gets sun, like the arms or shoulders. When melanin builds up in clusters, freckles may spread and cover larger areas, such as the entire face. Infants rarely have freckles; they are far more typical in children before puberty. If freckles are treated with creams or lasers but the skin is not shielded from the sun, they will return upon further exposure. In some people, freckles fade naturally with age. Freckles are not a medical disorder, but people who have them usually possess less protective melanin in their skin, making them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV radiation. For this reason, those whose skin freckles easily are advised to limit sun exposure and use sunscreen. Genetics play a role: freckles are linked to rare versions of the MC1R gene, though having one or even two copies of these variants does not guarantee freckles, and some people with no copies still develop them. Individuals with many freckling sites typically carry one or more MC1R variants, with Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp, and Asp294His being the most common among freckled people. The MC1R gene is more strongly tied to red hair than to freckles. In places like Japan, where red hair is absent, freckling occurs due to the Val92Met variant, which also appears in Europeans but has only a minor effect on their pigmentation. The role of the R162Q allele in freckling remains debated.

In culture

For centuries in the West, freckles were seen as flaws, with Pliny the Elder even calling them religious or spiritual blemishes. That view shifted after the mid-1900s, when tanned skin and its accompanying freckles became a mark of leisure and status. The 1960s youthquake movement, along with icons like model Twiggy and singer Jane Birkin, helped make freckles fashionable. By the early 2000s, models with freckles were a common sight in ads and fashion. In the 2020s, fake freckle tattoos became a trend, boosted by their popularity on TikTok.