Are Freckles Something You Should Worry About?

Freckles are so much fun. The skin speckles give your face a youthful appearance and that fresh, just-woke-up morning glow. Even if you don't see them on every model, our motto is to own every standout feature you have on your body, be it society-approved or not. After all, being happy with yourself is beautiful. 

Makeup artists agree. In an interview with Amway Connections, Rick DiCecca, a global makeup artist for Artistry, explains that "The underlying thread of each woman's beauty, no matter who she is, where she is from, or what she is facing, is confidence." We love to hear it.

But maybe you're worried about your freckles, especially if they seem to be popping up out of the blue. We know that the sudden appearance of spots on our skin could be a sign of skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, so are freckles something you should actually be worried about?

While there are many different types of freckles to be found, all freckles are typically just as harmless as they appear to be. In fact, freckles usually appear to protect our skin. According to Medical News Today, the appearance of freckles on the skin is most likely due to genetics, meaning someone in your family tree sports spotted skin, too. Freckles also appear on our skin when it's been exposed to sunlight because it produces extra melanin to protect itself from damage.

Many people seem to mistake freckles as a sign of skin cancer because of spotted skin's association with melanoma. While it's true that new freckles or moles could be a sign of this dangerous form of skin cancer, Healthline points out that this is typically not the case — especially if the freckle appears similar to your other spots. They recommend using the "ABCDE" method to determine if a new freckle may be cancerous. This method asks you to check its asymmetricity, border, color, diameter, and if it's evolving.

Even though having freckles probably isn't a sign of anything more sinister, it does, unfortunately, mean that your skin is more prone to sun damage (via Ohio State University). Since sun damage can lead to a host of more serious problems, such as skin cancer, you'll need to do a little more than your un-speckled peers to keep your skin safe when you're exposed to the sun.

Skincare.com recommends people with freckled skin keep their exposure to direct sunlight as limited as possible. That doesn't mean you have to be a vampire and retire to your coffin at the first sign of sunlight. If you're planning a beach day or a jog around the neighborhood, skincare experts suggest you bring along a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. A broad-spectrum sunscreen protects your skin from UVA and UVB radiation from the sun, both of which can contribute to skin cancer, per the Skin Cancer Foundation.

The truth about freckles is that they're harmless and pretty fun to have. They just mean your skin requires a little extra prep when you're planning for a day out in the sun.