[Seany (OP)]

[]

[DoctorBeaver]

They're the result of an excess of melanin.

[Seany (OP)]

Melanin?? Hehe.. Explanation needed please []

Also.. According to my "freckly" friend.. It is that when they are tanned by the sun, only parts (spotty) of their skin are tanned, so that they are tanned in little spots and not the whole skin..

Is this true?

And how come they go away when they do not have as much exposure to the sun? And come dreadfully back in the summer again?

[DoctorBeaver]

Melanin is the pigment that causes us to tan.

[Seany (OP)]

Ohhh... So people who do not want to tan.. Maybe scientists could find a way to remove or reduce the amount of melanin?

And for those people who want to tan.. Maybe they could find a way to increase the amount of melanin?

Is this possible?

[DoctorBeaver]

I'm not sure about that, but I doubt it.

[Seany (OP)]

Heh.. OK! []

[ukmicky]

melanin is the bodies natural protection against the sun.

[paul.fr]

Is your friend also Ginger?

[Seany (OP)]

Is your friend also Ginger?

Yup!!!

[iko]

Hi young Sea Hurricane Seany,

this forum has been freckling around
quite a bit in the past if you 'search':

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=5094.msg42444#msg42444

as an arizona native i have thought about why people say that the sun causes freckles.. i was wondering if this is really true, and if it is does it have any purpose? or is it just a reaction our skin has to uv rays (or something else?) is there any evolutionary advantage to this?

becca

This is a great question Becca !..I haven't an answer for you though ! []...and would like to extend warm greetings to you.

I have freckles...as does my daughter...and when I was 7..I unfortunately became terribly sun burnt on both my arms......upon healing I was left with very freckly arms !..not the whole arm...just the top bit from the elbow to the wrist..

..........When the sun is very strong I do find that the freckles seem more prominent.

Lets hope a passing freckle sun expert passes by and answers.


neil




<font size="1"><font color="blue"> Men are the same as women, just inside out !</font id="blue"></font id="size1">

I'am passing by but I am not your expert.
I offer my simple opinion (I like simplicity).
Freckles seem to be common in white skinned people (red hair, blonde)that never get a proper suntan but tend to 'burn'. Most of the melanin available is in the freckle themselves, so freckles get a tan...and the rest burns.
By gradual and prolonged exposure to UV rays some people get a nice protecting suntan and much more tanned freckles.
I knew it like this.
bye
iko

do you want an expert opinion? Here is one out of...thousands!
http://www.bighealth.net/cosmetics/skin/freckles.htm

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/16/43/23364316.jpg

[paul.fr]

Seany, you do realise the kids with ginger hair and freckles are evil, dont you?

Thank you, Mrs. Garrison. [reads] My speech is entitled "Ginger Kids: Children with red hair, light skin, and freckles." [Stan and Kyle glance at each other] We've all seen them - on the playground, at the store, walking on the streets - they creep us out and make us feel sick to our stomachs. I'm talking of course about... ginger kids. [cues up his pics. A red-headed boy appears] Aww sick! Gross! Ginger kids are born with a disease which causes very light skin, red hair, and freckles. [next picture is of a girl licking her triple-scoop ice-cream cone] Aw, nasty! Yuck! [returns to his paper] This disease is called Gingervitus, and it occurs because ginger kids have no souls

Kids who have gingervitus cannot be cured. [another redheaded girls pops up] Ah sick! [another redhead] Gross! [another redhead] Yeck! [returns to his paper] Because their skin is so light, ginger kids must avoid the sun. Not unlike... [a picture of a vampire with a full moon and bats behind him pops up] vampires.

http://www.southparkstuff.com/season_9/episode_911/epi911script/

[Karen W.]

LOL LOL!!

Here are my pumpkins.. Sarah very fair skinned Has just a few freckles, will burn but tans nicely...Now Johnathan on the other hand Burns severely in under 15 minutes when exposed to the sun! He peels and really never see a tan. He had a few freckles after his first severe burn.. he was in the sun about 15 to twenty minutes as a 2 year old walking on the freeway after my car broke down.... he blistered across his cheeks where the blanket I was shading him with slid off whilst walking.. I was caring, i infant and 1 toddler in my arms and had my 6 year old daughter by the hand. diaper bag, and a 7 mile walk back to town.. LOL Not a soul offered us a ride.. After that he had freckles across his nose and on his arms.. It was a horrid burn on his face. It bubbled up and blistered , popped and drained later.. It was painful for him..

[Seany (OP)]

Awww.. LOL thanks for that Paul []