Where do freckles come from?

Freckles are the small, crown spots that dot the skin of some people.

There are certain cells in your skin which produce a dark pigment, or coloring matter.  This pigment, called “melanin,” gives the brown color to the skin.  How much of this dark pigment you have usually depends on how much of it your parents have.

When your skin is exposed to the sun, the sunlight not only darkens the melanin-producing cells to make an extra amount of pigment.  And that is why you get a suntan.

Sometimes small spots in your skin have more of the pigment melanin in them than in the rest of your skin.

And so, instead of an even cost of tan, the spots pop out as freckles when they darken in the sunlight. Some people are mush more likely than others to freckle. People with red hair and fair skins are the ones who most often get freckles.-Dick Rogers

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