Freckle facts for kids
Freckles are clusters of concentrated melanin that are most often visible with a fair skin complexion. Freckles are predominantly found on the face, although they may appear on any skin exposed to the sun, such as the lips, neck, arms, shoulders, back, chest and gluteus maximus.
They are an inherited trait, caused by variation in the MC1R gene that is involved in the determination of red hair, fair skin, and freckles. Freckle formation is triggered through exposure to sunlight.
Two types of melanin, the red pheomelanin and the black eumelanin, are present in human skin. Eumelanin protects against sunlight. People with red hair have mostly pheomelanin in their hair and skin and/or a reduced ability to produce eumelanin. This may explain why they fail to tan and are at risk from the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.
About 2.5 billion people in the world have freckles. About 75 per cent of Filipino people have freckles.
See also
In Spanish: Peca para niños
