Freckles can appear over a large area of skin and can reappear or become darker in the summer months. Freckles often fade or disappear in the winter months, when new skin cells replace old cells. Freckles develop on areas often exposed to sunlight, such as the: face.
They just don't look like your other spots." Your skin can develop new spots after sun exposure. Or an old freckle or mole that's looked the same for years can suddenly change in size, shape or color. You have to be familiar with the spots on your skin to catch these changes.
A mole or freckle should be checked if it has a diameter of more than a pencil eraser or any characteristics of the ABCDEs of melanoma (see below). Dysplastic nevi are moles that are generally larger than average (larger than a pencil eraser) and irregular in shape.
Freckles are harmless, but if one starts to look funny compared to others then it's best to get it checked out. Larger, flat, brown spots on the face and hands that start to appear in middle-aged people, known as age spots or liver spots, are properly called solar lentigines.
To a skin cancer doctor or dermatologist, moles and freckles aren't “cancerous” by definition. They are normal non-cancer growths or pigmentation of the skin. But people without medical training often think of their skin and moles differently from skin cancer doctors and dermatologists.
Genetics and sun exposure are the primary causes of freckles. Some people are more likely to get freckles than others, depending on their genes and skin type. If a person is genetically more likely to develop freckles, exposure to sunlight can make them appear.
Some freckles can look normal but can potentially be a melanoma freckle. Most melanomas usually share a few tell-tale warning signs.
The difference is that solar lentigines are actually caused by frequent and prolonged sun exposure over the course of many years. Freckles, on the other hand, are typically a result of genetics. Freckles often fade or disappear with age, while solar lentigines become more common as people get older.
Stage 1: The cancer is up to 2 millimeters (mm) thick. It has not yet spread to lymph nodes or other sites, and it may or may not be ulcerated. Stage 2: The cancer is at least 1 mm thick but may be thicker than 4 mm. It may or may not be ulcerated, and it has not yet spread to lymph nodes or other sites.
Freckles are also known to fade with age. Sunspots are flat areas of discolouration or spots, that can be tan or varying shades of brown. In comparison to freckles, sunspots are usually darker, larger and have a more defined shape. Sunspots also tend to stay this way regardless of the amount of sun exposure.
In Stage I melanoma, the cancer cells are in both the first and second layers of the skin—the epidermis and the dermis. A melanoma tumor is considered Stage I if it is up to 2 mm thick, and it may or may not have ulceration. There is no evidence the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or distant sites (metastasis).
The edges of a healthy freckle or mole should look smooth and fairly even. Ragged, raised, or notched borders can be a sign of cancer.
Although freckles are hereditary, they are activated by sun exposure. If someone that has the freckle gene (MC1R), they must spend time in the sun in order to produce freckles. A person without the freckles genes will not produce freckles regardless of if they are in the sun or not. Freckles actually serve a purpose.
Moles, or nevi, typically form during childhood and adolescence, but new moles can appear in adulthood. Although most moles are noncancerous, or benign, the development of a new mole or sudden changes to existing moles in an adult can be a sign of melanoma.
Other melanoma warning signs may include:
Pigment, redness or swelling that spreads outside the border of a spot to the surrounding skin. Itchiness, tenderness or pain. Changes in texture, or scales, oozing or bleeding from an existing mole. Blurry vision or partial loss of sight, or dark spots in the iris.
Although the American Cancer Society does not have guidelines for the early detection of skin cancer, knowing your own skin is important to finding skin cancer early. You should know the pattern of moles, blemishes, freckles, and other marks on your skin so that you'll notice any new moles or changes in existing moles.
Freckles often show up during childhood, and you may continue to get more until you're in your 20s. People with fair skin or red hair are most likely to have them. There are two types of freckles: ephelides and solar lentigines.
One of the ways that freckles are differentiated from moles is that they're not growths, so they cannot be cut off. The only effective way to fade and/or remove freckles is to stay out of the sun, or to pursue freckle-removal technology.
Common freckles themselves are quite harmless and rarely develop into skin cancer. Most freckles are produced by exposure to ultraviolet light and typically fade in the winter. Unusual-appearing freckles may become malignant skin cancer.
Freckles 101
Freckles are actually evidence of a genetic mutation in your “freckle gene.” No, you're not an alien, but when this gene (called the melanocortin one receptor gene) is mutated, you are at greater risk for predisposed skin cancer — both melanoma and non-melanoma types.
The more melanin you have in your skin, the easier it is to get a tan. People with fair complexions have less melanin in their skin to start with. When sunlight causes their melanocytes to make more melanin, they often develop freckles instead of getting an even suntan like people with darker complexions.
Melanin clumping and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure are the most typical culprits for melasma. Though we know the cause of these concerns, the rate and severity of their appearance is hard to pinpoint. Sometimes dark spots show up very slowly, while at other times they can appear suddenly and without warning.
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. The spot is larger than ¼ inch across – about the size of a pencil eraser – although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
Are beauty marks or freckles dangerous? Freckles are completely harmless and don't have the potential to turn malignant. Beauty marks, however, while usually harmless, can turn cancerous. Always consult a dermatologist to determine whether you should be concerned about a mole.
A large brownish spot with darker speckles. A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds. A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black. A painful lesion that itches or burns.