What Are Freckles and Why Do We Have Them?

What You'll Learn

• Freckles are spots of extra melanin (pigment) in the skin
• Melanin is the natural chemical that gives skin its color
• Sunlight triggers freckles to appear or get darker
• Freckles are genetic — you inherit them from your parents
• Freckles are not harmful — they're totally normal and unique

Words to Know

Freckle

A small brown spot on your skin — like a tiny star

"She has freckles across her nose."

Melanin

The natural color chemical in your skin

"Melanin gives skin its color."

Genetics

The instructions inside you passed from parents

"Genetics decided I'd have freckles."

Pigment

A coloring material — like the dye in a crayon

"Melanin is a pigment in your skin."

Check What You Learned

Fun Facts

• Freckles are clusters of concentrated melanin triggered by sun exposure

  Source: American Academy of Dermatology

• Melanin is the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color

  Source: NIH

• UV radiation stimulates melanocytes to produce more melanin

  Source: Skin Cancer Foundation

• Freckles are influenced by the MC1R gene — same gene affects red hair

  Source: Nature Genetics

• Freckles are more common in people with fair skin and light or red hair

  Source: AAD

• The word "freckle" comes from Middle English "freken," from Old Norse, meaning "scattered"

  Source: OED