Freckles
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| L81.2 | Ephelids freckles |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Freckles or Epheliden ( Greek ἔφηλις - Ephelis , in the plural Ephelides from gr. Epi - ἐπί "at" and hēlios - ἥλιος "sun"), also summer spots , also lentigines (aestivae) , in Austria also Gugerschecken / Gugaschecken or peek-a-pans , in Switzerland also March or leaf stains) are small yellowish and brownish spots on the skin that occur especially in people with blonde and reddish hair and a very fair complexion .
These are pigment deposits that occur mainly in the skin exposed to sunlight, i.e. mostly in summer. In some people, they fade or disappear entirely in winter.
Freckles are caused by melanocytes that produce more melanin ( hyperpigmentation ). This melanin is stored in the surrounding keratinocytes for some time. In contrast to moles , there is no local increase in melanocytes in freckles.
Freckles are a standard variant . They are likely caused by innate gene variants in the melanocortin-1 receptor, which is also held responsible for skin and hair color. Since light skin and hair types are particularly affected, there is often a special medical recommendation for sun protection and sun avoidance for those who wear freckles.
Freckles can rarely be a symptom of a systemic disease, the NAME syndrome , usually in combination with other skin changes .
reception
The reception of freckles in society as a more or less attractive attribute has gone through numerous changes in fashion. During the Edwardian and Victorian epochs , British and Americans in particular on the East Coast saw a flawlessly pale face as the epitome of feminine beauty; Freckles, associated with fresh air and sun, should be reserved for the proletarians and peasants working outdoors. Advertisements around 1900 promoting drugs "to remove this ugly mask" sounded accordingly coarse:
- “Freckle face: sun and wind bring out the ugly spots. How to remove them easily. - This is your chance to try Miss Freckles Face, a remedy for your freckles with the guarantee that it won't cost you a penny if your freckles don't go away. Just buy an ounce of Othine Extra Strong and you'll get a nice look on your face after a few uses. Seldom is an ounce not enough, even in bad cases. Money back if you can't get rid of your freckles. "(1915)
These drugs for removing freckles or for general skin lightening mostly contained unhealthy mercury and only disappeared from the market in the 1970s due to government bans. Since then, bleaching creams have been offered for the skin, but they often contain hydroquinone , which has been said to have a potentially carcinogenic effect since the mid-2000s. Other options for removing freckles from the skin are laser treatments, chemical skin peelings, retinoid creams or cryosurgical treatments. Sun protection products for the skin have a preventive effect .
Over time, however, freckles have also developed into an ideal of beauty and are therefore even offered as permanent make-up .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ M. Bastiaens et al .: The melanocortin-1-receptor gene is the major freckle gene. Hum Mol Genet . 2001 Aug 1; 10 (16), pp. 1701-1708, PMID 11487574
- ^ Advertisement in Harrisburg Star-Independent (Pennsylvania) of April 9, 1915, p. 3 , translated from the American.
- ^ WDR local time Bonn v. June 10, 2017.
