Freckle Cheeks

An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright freckles, spent the day at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.“You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint!” A girl in the line said to the little fella. Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head.His grandmother knelt down next to him. “I love your freckles. When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles,” she said, while tracing her finger across the child’s cheek. “Freckles are beautiful!”

The boy looked up, “Really?”

“Of course,” said the grandmother. “Why, just name me one thing that’s prettier than freckles.”

The little boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his grandma’s face, and softly whispered, “Wrinkles.”

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.

4.       Some medications that you take internally or apply to your skin can cause skin sensitivity. Among the medicines that can cause this are certain antibiotics and birth control pills. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to determine if what you use on your face or take internally would make your skin more sensitive to the sun.

5.       Stay out of tanning beds. Tanning is equally harmful to your skin as compared to the sun. One tanning bed session is equal to a whole day spent at the beach. These devices expose your skin to lots of pigment-inducing UV radiation, and it’s only inches from your skin.

6. Be consistent in using the sunscreen. Even a few minutes of unprotected sun exposure each day will add up, such as the rays your skin absorbs from walking to the work and getting in and out of your car. Even if you are indoor or in a vehicle, it is still necessary to use sunscreen because most of the pigment-causing UV rays still come through them.

Many people would rather not develop freckles or, if they already have freckles, they would like to get rid of them. It is always better to take preventative measure from developing freckles than to treat them.

If you do not have freckle but based on your family history there is a hereditary tendency to freckle — you should take prevention measure sooner rather than later to minimize the possibility from developing them.

Freckles are a warning to people who have them that their skin is highly vulnerable to sunburn and to skin cancer. There are steps that can be taken to prevent them:

1. Use sunscreen. You should always wear sunscreen whenever appropriate and also minimize your skin from sun exposure. This is to suppress their tendency to produce freckles and to reduce their risk of developing skin cancer. Wear a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Apply the sunscreen every day when you get up, and reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.

2. Wear a hat. Get a broad-brimmed hat that could not let light through. This is to keep the sun from directly hitting your face.

3. Avoid peak sun hours. The sun is most intense between the hours of 10 am and 4pm therefore avoid from going out at these hours if possible.