For answers, TIME turned to Dr. Joyce Park, a board-certified dermatologist in the Bay Area. Dr. Park agreed that the viral conversation was reasonably funny — but suggested it can be well explained by sunlight exposure. “ Freckles are basically areas of the peel where you have more pigment or melanin deposition from UV radiation sickness, ” she says. “ The forearms, the wrists and the hands are actually park spots to get that photograph. If you think about it, when you ’ re drive, that side of your wrist and hand are just constantly being exposed to sunlight, even if you ’ ra wearing sleeves. ” Another factor ? We often forget to put sunscreen on that particular sphere, she notes. other freckle-prone areas : the face, shoulders and spinal column of the neck for those with short-change haircloth. But New York City dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, who had a slenderly unlike contain on the phenomenon. “ What we are actually seeing in these photos are moles or ‘ smasher marks ’, ” Dr. Zeichner suggests. “ These spots are harmless overgrowths of pigment producing cells, causing small brown spots on the hide. ” Because they ’ re then common, he says, about everyone has “ at least one breakwater on the arms, ” so the fact that so many people have one on their wrist doesn ’ t come as a surprise. Sun exposure may play a function in making these marks look dark, besides, but moles can appear anywhere on the body.
Both Dr. Park and Dr. Zeichner urge everyone to pay attention to freckles and moles, however, in event they become cancerous. It ’ s always smart to get a full body skin check regularly. And Dr. Zeichner suggests an “ ABCDE dominion ” to evaluate : wage attention to any asymmetry, border irregularity, non-uniform color, diameter larger than a pencil tip eraser, or evolving size, supreme headquarters allied powers europe or color. And Dr. Park ’ s main tip : “ Sunscreen is always a great idea, ” she says ; it ’ randomness good to reapply every few hours with a broad-spectrum recipe. so of class the alleged freckle “ phenomenon ” has some pretty simpleton explanations. But at least everyone on Twitter has found something to shackle about.
Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner @ time.com. contribution THIS STORY
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