Ephelides (syn. freckles)

LAST UPDATED: Jul 11, 2021

Introduction

A freckle arises as a result of the temporary overproduction of melanin resulting from UV stimulation, there is a normal number of melanocytes.

This chapter is set out as follows:

History
Clinical findings
Images

History

Freckles first appear at about the age of five years
They are more frequent in individuals with red or blonde hair and blue eyes, especially of Celtic extraction
They increase in number and size in the summer months and fade in winter months (as opposed to lentigines where the lesions persist)

Clinical findings

Regular, small, brown, macular lesions on sun-exposed sites

Clinical Images

Please refer to notes on image rights at bottom of the page with regards to individual image ownership.

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Image Rights - The PCDS would like to thank Dermatoweb, DermQuest (Galderma), and others who have contributed images. All named individuals and organisations maintain copyright for the relevant images.