Hi Jamie,
I, like you, have had freckles for most of my life but why do we have them and others don’t?! I’ve accepted them now, but hated them as a kid.
x,
“A”
Hey A,
Haha, I get that. I’ve had freckles for as long as I can remember and I remember also playing a little game of “connect the dots” on my face one time as well…my mom was thrilled.
I actually wrote a piece for TODAY.com allll about freckles but I’ll summarize it here.
Long story short:
- Freckles are dark spots caused by the sun so, no, you were NOT born with them (like I used to think)
- Although freckles ARE triggered by sunlight, only those who are genetically pre-disposed to them (e.g. the Irish or anyone with fair skin, blue eyes, etc.) will actually get them
- Freckles get darker in the summer (or whenever you spend the most time outside) and will often fade or lighten up during the winter
- You CAN prevent them. It’s called wearing sunscreen ๐
- You CAN fade the ones you already have. ย Look for products that have vitamin C, Retinol or Hydroquinone.
Lastly, read this Buzzfeed story on 23 problems only people with freckles will understand ๐
xo,
Jamie
