It’s estimated that somewhere around 80% of redheads have freckles, but did you know we aren’t born with them? That’s right! Babies are not born with freckles, even if they will end up with them later in life. Freckles usually start appearing sometime between two and four. This is because children tend to be outdoors, uncovered and freckles start to appear.
Freckles come out when you are exposed to the sun, but don’t get freckles confused with sun spots or skin damage because they aren’t the same. Freckles are naturally occurring spots of melanin beneath the skin and if your child has the freckle gene you’re probably going to see some of them pop up as they get older. Babies are not born with freckles because they have had no exposure to the sun, and as infants, they usually have little to no direct exposure and their skin cells haven’t matured enough to produce freckles.
Once a child starts to develop freckles, it’s really a guessing game on how many they will have. Some children may have only a few that appear in the summer sun, while others may be covered in freckles. Just remember that freckles are unique and beautiful and children should be encouraged to embrace them from a young age.
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READ: What Are The Chances a Baby’s Hair Will Stay Red?
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READ: Freckles Changing During Pregnancy, What’s Normal?
Rock it like a Redhead!
