www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 17 generally 1 to 2 millimeters in size, light brown in color and more common in people with red hair, who have a genetic predisposition to freckles. They first appear around the age of 2 or 3 and increase during adolescence, Dr. Valdebran explained. They are most often found on the face, arms, neck and chest and become more pigmented during the summer, and they partially disappear with age. Ephelides are associated with a sensitivity to the sun, which activates melanocytes, cells that provide pigment to the skin. Studies have shown that individuals with a multitude of freckles may be more prone to developing melanoma or skin cancer with excessive sun exposure. Lentigines are larger than ephelides, ranging in size from millimeters to centimeters in diameter, and their color can be a darker brown. Also referred to as a sun spot or liver spot, they are more commonly found in people over the age of 50 on chronic sun-exposed skin, mostly on the face, the dorsum or top of the hand or either side of the forearm, Dr. Valdebran added. These spots are generally benign and are confined to the top of the skin. “Freckles themselves are absolutely harmless,” said Dr. Valdebran. “What should be alarming is any new mole that is different from a freckle in people over the age of 40.” A mole is a skin growth that can be flat or raised and is darker in pigment than a freckle. Moles that change in color, size or symmetry over a period of one to three months or appear after the age of 40 should be concerning, said Dr. Valdebran. “Any mole that is rapidly changing should be taken care of immediately because they may represent a melanoma, which is one of the deadliest cancers that we have,” he added.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1