Skin spots

Have you ever wondered why freckles appear with tanning in summer?

In reality, the evident spots on the skin that appear on the face after long exposure to the sun are called ephelides, or more commonly but erroneously freckles. Ephelides are nothing more than accumulations of melanin localized on the face and… don’t worry…. They are not dangerous, but it is good to properly prepare the skin for sunbathing.

Ephelides spots on the skin – what are they

Ephelides are brownish, circular spots that appear on the skin, typically the size of a nail’s head. Particularly common in fair-skinned people, they tend to appear mainly on the cheeks, nose, arms and shoulders; moreover, they often appear at an early age, since childhood. Ephelides tend to be uniform in colour, but can vary from person to person, switching from reddish to yellow ocher, to light brown, up to dark brown or blackish tones; however, they are generally darker than the surrounding skin.

Though we often call these skin spots freckles, they actually aren’t! Difference between ephelides and freckles: also freckles, like ephelides, are the result of excessive production of melanin but what differentiates them is the reason behind their appearance. While freckles are the result of having an exuberant number of melanocytes compared to normal, ephelides are caused by over-stimulation of melanocytes. Hence the explanation of why freckles are present throughout the body and never disappear, while ephelides appear mainly on face and only in summer, and they appear and disappear depending upon how much sun exposure we have.

These specks of the skin, why are they formed

The common belief is that ephelides are not only the result of sun exposure but that they are the result of a combination of genetic predisposition and sun exposure. Some research carried out on twins have found an incredible similarity in the total number of ephelides in the case of homozygous twins. This confirms the hypothesis that the presence of ephelides is influenced by genetic factors. Of course, not all people have the same skin reaction to sunlight. People with blond or red hair, light eyes and fair skin are particularly sensitive to the damaging effects of UV rays. However, regardless of skin colour, ephelides are caused by the uneven distribution of the melanin pigment in the skin.

Having said that, keep in mind that ephelides are not something to be treated but are a feature of some people’s skin, they are not a risky thing for our health but a response of our skin and our body to sun exposure.

In any case, the key word for prevention is: PROTECTION!