Freckles are spotty pigmentation of the skin brought about by the action of the sun's ultraviolet rays on the pigment granules in the epidermis. Known also as lentigo, freckles vary from pinhead size to spots more than one-quarter inch in diameter. They are especially common in adolescents and appear most often on persons with fair or red hair. Freckles increase in distinctness during the summer months and are most numerous on the face, though often occurring on the hands and back. While there have been a number of advertised methods for removing freckles, none is effective, and the application of certain of the agents is definitely harmful to the skin.
