Explained as easy as pie

“Why do I have freckles?”

Freckles look adorable.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/zinkevych)

Pippi Longstocking and Prince Harry have these little dots on their faces. Many children want to know why they are actually called freckles and how they develop. We have the answer for all (young) inquisitive minds.

Pippi, the cheeky girl with the red hair and protruding pigtails, is probably one of the best-known bearers of freckles. You probably know her from television. Do you also have these little, very cute spots on your face?

Do you actually know what freckles are? Take a closer look, maybe even pick up a magnifying glass. Then you'll see: They are small brownish spots in the top layer of the skin. They are flat, you can't feel any elevation when you run your finger over them.

They usually appear for the first time around the age of seven. Younger children rarely have freckles, even if they are predisposed from birth. Don't worry: if you have them, you are not ill. Unlike moles, they cannot become malignant. They remain "sweet".

How they develop
Certain cells in the skin produce melanin when exposed to the sun. This is a pigment that is responsible for the color of the skin and hair. Melanin covers the cell nuclei in the outer layer of the skin like a dark coat. Most people develop melanin evenly and their entire skin tans. In those with a predisposition to freckles, the skin does not produce melanin evenly. Instead, there is too much production in individual areas. These spots then appear.

The typical "sprout" has a diameter of 1 to 5 millimetres, the shape is unique for everyone - almost like snowflakes, and people with fair skin and blonde and red hair are particularly prone to freckles. Most of them are located where the body gets a lot of sun, for example on the face (often on the nose or cheeks). However, they also frequently appear on the hands and forearms.

Summer and not winter freckles
Where does the name come from? Freckles are so called because they are much more visible in summer than in winter. This is because the skin is exposed to more sun in the warmer months. Then the spots gradually increase. In some people they fade in winter, but never disappear completely. They also remain in old age, but can become fewer. This is because the body's own production of melanin decreases in older people.

The body's own warning signs
You don't need to be a detective: Because these little dots tell you that their wearer has sun-sensitive skin and gets sunburned faster than others. That's why all "Pippis" (boys can of course also feel addressed) should protect themselves particularly well from the sun: Wear a hat or cap and use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor. As the sun is strongest at midday, it's best to head indoors - perhaps to watch an episode of "Pippi Longstocking" ...