• Question: Why do some people have freckles and others don't?

    Asked by beth.nicholls to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Hi _bethnicholls_

      Freckles are clusters of concentrated melanin (the dark pigment in skin which causes different skin tones) and they are often more prominent on people with fair skin. The number of freckles is genetic and is related to a specific gene which is called melanocortin-1-receptor gene variant. Exposure of the skin to sunlight can make freckles darker and more prominent due to a reaction in the skin when UV-B sunlight activates cells called melanocytes to increase the production of melanin.

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