Some say freckles come from the kiss of an angel. But we know where most of them really come from. They come from genes. And the sun. Freckles are spots usually seen on people with fair or light skin. These spots contain melanin, a pigment protein. Melanin gets made when harmful ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun hits our skin. This UV light is very powerful and can damage DNA. Melanin shades and protects our DNA from the sun.

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Some say freckles come from the kiss of an angel. But we know where most of them really come from. They come from genes. And the sun. Freckles are spots usually seen on people with fair or light skin. These spots contain melanin, a pigment protein. Melanin gets made when harmful ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun hits our skin. This UV light is very powerful and can damage DNA. Melanin shades and protects our DNA from the sun.

Not every cell in our body makes pigment though. The cells in the skin that make melanin are called melanocytes. In some people, these melanocytes are spread out pretty evenly in the skin. These folks tan. Other people have their melanocytes in clumps. These people end up with clusters of cells that make pigment while the rest of the skin stays light (or turns red). These clumped cells are freckles.

Do we know why people with freckles have clumped melanocytes? We know some of, but not the whole story. A big clue was the fact that people with red hair tend to also have freckles. And that freckled people often have red haired children. Why is this? Because most cases of freckles and red hair are caused by the same gene—MC1R. Here’s how it works. The MC1R gene is really just a set of instructions for making the MC1R protein. The MC1R protein sits on the outside of melanocytes where part of its job is to make sure that there is a certain balance of pigments in hair and skin.

There are two main pigments in people. The most common one is eumelanin. It is responsible for most hair colors other than red. The other pigment, pheomelanin, is more rare. It is responsible for red hair and the orangish red look of many freckles. Red hair and freckles often come from the same gene.
When MC1R is working, it turns any pheomelanin that gets made into eumelanin. So when MCIR is broken, you get a build up of pheomelanin. And red hair. So people with broken MC1R genes have red hair.

But if MC1R is responsible for both red hair and freckles, why do some people only have freckles? It has to do with how many copies of certain versions of the MC1R gene they have. Remember, everyone has 2 copies of most of their genes. And these genes come in different versions. Some people have certain versions of MC1R that don’t work well. If one of their copies doesn’t work well, they can get freckles. If both don’t work well, they get red hair and freckles.

Now the red hair makes sense. If MC1R doesn’t work, you’ll get a build up of pheomelanin and end up with red hair. But why does having half your MC1R work sometimes cause freckles? Scientists don’t know. What they know is that having one or two non-working copies of MC1R can sometimes cause freckles. Note the sometimes. Not everyone who is a carrier for red hair has freckles. So there must be more to freckles than the MC1R gene itself. We haven’t yet found what that other thing is.

To continue reading just click on this link
http://www.thetech.org/genetic...

Age spot and freckles- two things a man or a woman would never want to see on their face. What in the world are these spots all over your face and how did they get there? If you are dealing with age spots and freckles all over your face, what can be done about it?

Lentigines (age spots) and ephelides (freckles) are tan, black, or brown spots that appear over time due to excessive sun exposure. Many people try t...

Age spot and freckles- two things a man or a woman would never want to see on their face. What in the world are these spots all over your face and how did they get there? If you are dealing with age spots and freckles all over your face, what can be done about it?

Lentigines (age spots) and ephelides (freckles) are tan, black, or brown spots that appear over time due to excessive sun exposure. Many people try to avoid such dark spots on the skin. However, many people in the United States and other parts of the world where people have lighter skin spend hours laying in coffin-like spaces to “tan.” Others choose to lie out in the hot sun to get the “sun kissed glow.” Within years, those same people look in the mirror and find these dark spots all over their face, back, and other areas of the skin. Lentigines are superficial collections of skin pigment called melanin which have accumulated within the top layer of skin called the epidermis. Ephelides are common in lighter type skin in individuals who sunburn easily. Lentigines are seen on people of all ages with all skin types.

Freckles are formed by extensive exposure to UV radiation. After extensive sun exposure, the outer layer of the skin begins to thicken and darken, to protect the skin from future damage.

You may wonder what cause these spots. Lentigines and Ephelides are caused by sun exposure. These spots usually do not appear until later in life. It is often dangerous to spend time in the sun for extended periods of time, because you do not see the damage until later in life. The best way to prevent Lentigines and Ephelides is to avoid serious sun exposure and to always wear a good sun screen and to apply it often. People with lighter complexions are far more sensitive to the sun do to their lower levels of melanin.

http://www.associatedcontent.c...
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It seems that they are hereditary.
Freckles are flat, vari-colored, pigmented areas of the skin. Freckling is usually hereditary and appears in darkly pigmented as well as light-skinned peoples. Sunlight causes freckles to increase.

Freckles are flat, vari-colored, pigmented areas of the skin. Freckling is usually hereditary and appears in darkly pigmented as well as light-skinned peoples. Sunlight causes freckles to increase. They are harmless. However, one form, which is blue-black in color and is slightly raised, may be pre-malignant. This form is called a melanoma. It is dangerous to remove these lesions, as they may spread to other areas of the body. Surgical removal requires wide excision. Doctors with skill and experience should be consulted regarding removal of any freckle.


Attached is a link to a site that explains freckles, why, where and how to get rid of them!

If you have them...don't worry - they are cute!

http://answers.yahoo.com/quest...