8 Things You Never Knew About Freckles

Freckles have come a long way from being something that would be the reason for teasing in school to something we all want so much we’re willing to draw them on. These days most people think that freckles are the cutest thing ever and there are even special products for drawing them on in the most natural way, freckle transfer tattoos and some people even choose to get freckles actually tattooed on for real. But here are some things you probably didn’t know about freckles.

1.What Causes Freckles

Did you know that whether or not you get freckles is decided by a particular gene? It’s called MC1R and it basically decides what kind of melanin you produce. If it’s active you get darker skin, if it’s inactive then you get lighter skin and reddish freckles.

2. What Are Freckles

They’re just clusters of melanin. Basically you get your standart freckles that come and go depending on sun exposure, those are the ones that become more visible and darker in the summer and fade in the winter. You can also make them less visible in the summer by wearing SPF (we know, it’s a tough choice between cute freckles and protecting your skiing from the sun). However, those age spots or as some call them “liver spots” we often see on older people, are also freckles, they’re just permanent ones that don’t fade.

3. Freckles Never Cause Cancer

There’s a false belief that since freckles are a reaction to the sun, they can become cancerous. But that’s actually a myth. Freckles never become cancerous. They’re always flat and just a change in pigment. Cancer usually starts with moles that are raised and irregular in shape.