[SKIN TRUTH] The truth about melanin: a UV-protectant, not the cause of spotting and freckles

“Anne of Green Gables” is a popular children’s story that highlights the coming of age of a young country girl named Anne whose most distinctive traits are her bright red hair and freckled cheeks. The writer may have simply decided arbitrarily that the character should have freckles, but scientifically speaking, it makes sense that a character that spends the majority of her day running outside in the sun would have a face full of freckles.

It’s common to see the emergence of pigmentation after a day outside in the sun, but sometimes this pigmentation is a fundamentally different entity than the freckles on Anne’s cheeks—in some cases, the pigmentation can be spotting and not freckles. Both are caused by pigmentation from melanin and the root of this pigmentation is exposure to UV rays. The difference is that spotting is usually the effect of the overproduction of the melanin pigment deep in the skin. Spotting appears irregularly on the skin and can be exacerbated not only through UV exposure, but also by hormonal changes (particularly estrogen). Freckles more often affect people under the age of 20 and look like small moles dotting the skin.

Aesthetically, it’s common to be concerned about the appearance freckles or spotting. Strictly speaking, however, in exchange for its negative aesthetic effects, freckles or spotting block and signal an overexposure of the skin to UV rays.

It’s also important to note that because the amount of melanin in the skin is determined by genetics that differ by race, different races have varying skin colors. According to a study sponsored by the American National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute conducted in 2009 by PubMed Central, there was a 5-8% increase in the rate of skin cancer found yearly amongst white subjects, while there was no noticeable increase in the incident of skin cancer amongst black subjects. This research lends support to the idea that melanin provides protection against UV rays and thus lowers the chances of developing skin cancer.

A certain amount of UV exposure is necessary for the body to absorb vitamin D. However, excessive exposure to UV rays heightens the risk of anything from irritation to skin cancer. So the body produces spotting or freckles through melanin to prevent these risks and also to signal the need for more protection from the sun.