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The freckles that stipple many people ’s cutis are often called " sun kisses " because they run to appear or darken after exposure to the sun .

But whydofreckles come out in the sun ?

Portrait of girl with lots of freckles on her nose and cheeks hugging her mom on beach and smiling.

Those prone to freckling often get freckles on their noses and cheeks in the summer.

A freckle develops as a protective mechanism against harmfulultraviolet(UV ) radiation , Dr. Jill S. Waibel , a board - endorse dermatologist and the aesculapian director of Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute , evidence Live Science . Sun exposure prompts theskinto produce melanin , the paint that produces the many hue of human skin and also allow for pelt to tan .

Melanin scatters ultraviolet illumination rays , meaning it broadcast the rays bouncing in different steering ; this prevent them from penetrating the hide and damage its deoxyribonucleic acid . However , some temporary hookup of pelt develop more of this paint than others , and these melanin - rich spots are referred to as freckle , Waibel say .

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As a effect , freckles tend to become more visible during the summer and disappear or brighten during month when the UV radiotherapy is not as impregnable .

That say , not all freckle respond to the seasonal Dominicus exposure in the same way , Dr. Rebecca Kazin , a instrument panel - certified dermatologist and the director of clinical research at Icon Dermatology and Aesthetics , a dermatology practice in North Bethesda , Maryland , told Live Science by electronic mail .

There are two main types of freckles : ephelides , which are what people typically imagine of as freckles , and solar lentigines , also known as liver spot orage maculation . Both type are more common in people with fair skin and in those with a transmissible predisposition to develop them . However , solar freckle do not fade in the winter like ephelides do , Kazin articulate .

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Ephelides , the most common freckle case , are commonly small and light brownness , and they appear on pelt that ’s commonly exposed to the Dominicus : on the face , arms and shoulder , she said . These freckles incline to darken and fleet in reply to shortsighted - term Lord’s Day exposure , while solar lentigo are associated with accumulated sunlight harm to the skin and do not melt .

Solar freckle be given to be larger and non-white than ephelides , and they are more mutual in older people , Kazin said . Also called sun smirch , solar lentigo seem when UV radiation sickness damages the desoxyribonucleic acid in skin and thus change the behavior of melanin - hit cells , fit in to a 2014 review in the journalPigment Cell & Melanoma Research . These change in cistron natural action boost both the issue and production levels of these melanin makers , resulting in patch of skin where melanin pigment accumulates and clumps up .

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Solar freckle are not cancerous and do n’t expect any treatment , but they can look like to someskin Cancer . If you ’re concerned about a spot or notice that one is undergoing rapid change , reach a health care provider to get checked out , Kaiser Permanente advises .

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Sun kisses — what most people think of when they think of freckles — are harmless , but perhaps a good reminder for those who freckle easily to slather on their dailysunscreen .

This article is for informational purpose only and is not meant to offer medical advice .

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