Freckle Cheeks

Both freckles and moles are produced due to increase of pigment (melanin) in your skin. But they’re not the same.

Freckles are small, flat, pigmented spots on your skin. Their colors may vary from red to tan to brown. Freckles are not present at birth but they later developed as a result of repeated sun exposure. Freckles occur primarily in sun-exposed areas of your body, such as your nose, cheeks and shoulders.

Moles are clusters of pigmented cells. Although they often appear as small, dark brown spots, moles come in a range of colors and sizes. They can be raised or flat and can develop almost anywhere on your body — even between your fingers and toes. Unlike freckles, moles can be present at birth. They often become more prominent with age. Moles also may darken with repeated sun exposure or as a result of hormonal changes in pregnancy.

Freckles rarely develop into skin cancer. However, freckles are especially common in people with light skin, and having light skin that burns easily increases your risk of skin cancer. Also, some skin cancer in its earliest stages resembles a freckle. If you have a pigmented lesion — whether you think it’s a freckle or mole — that changes in size, shape or color, or becomes painful, consult your doctor.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 at 9:24 pm and is filed under Beauty & Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.