Spots rich in melanin are called freckles, which are highly visible in the summer and fade in the winter… Brown pigments of various sizes that appear hazy like fog near the cheekbones are called freckles.
Winter is a good season to get rid of freckles. This is because freckles reappear or darken when exposed to sunlight and then fade in seasons when there is less sunlight. For this reason, it is nicknamed ‘sun kiss’. Science media ‘Live Science’ uncovered the secret of freckles.
“Freckles occur as a protective mechanism against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation,” said Dr. Jill Waibel, director of the Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute. “When the skin is exposed to sunlight, melanin is produced, creating freckles that stain the skin.” He said.
Melanin scatters ultraviolet rays, preventing sunlight from penetrating the skin and damaging DNA. Some skin produces more of this pigment than others. These melanin-rich spots are freckles. Therefore, freckles are more visible in the summer and tend to disappear or brighten in months when ultraviolet rays are not as strong.
Not all freckles react the same way to sun exposure. Dr. Rebecca Kazin, director of esthetics in North Bethesda, Maryland, explains the two types. There are ‘ephelides’, which people commonly think of as freckles, and ‘solar lentigens’, which are called age spots. Both types are more common in people with fair skin. The latter does not fade even in winter.
Ephelides are small, light brown, and appear on skin frequently exposed to sunlight, such as the face, arms, and shoulders. They tend to darken and disappear in response to short-term sun exposure. Solar lentigens are associated with sun damage to the skin and do not go away naturally. It is larger and darker than the ephelide and is more common in older people.
According to a 2014 review in the journal Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, solar lentigens occurs when ultraviolet rays damage the skin’s DNA, altering the behavior of the cells that produce melanin. This change in gene activity increases both the number and production level of melanin producers, causing melanin pigment to accumulate and clump together. Solar lentogens may look similar to skin cancer, but they do not lead to cancer.
The best way to avoid freckles is with sunscreen. If you apply sunscreen every day, freckles will not appear easily. You can also remove freckles with a laser or dermabrasion treatment. One-time treatment cannot remove all lesions, but repeated treatments are effective. In the case of laser treatment, treatment is usually repeated at one-month intervals.
How are spots different from freckles? If brown pigment of various sizes appears like fog near the cheekbones, it is a melasma. It mainly appears in the central area of the face, such as the forehead and nose. Melasma is evenly distributed from the dermal layer to the epidermal layer of the skin, and once it appears, it does not easily disappear. It mainly occurs after the 20s when female hormone secretion begins in earnest, and becomes more severe in the 30s and 40s when female hormones increase. After menopause, female hormones decrease and dark spots decrease.
Source: kormedi.com
