Take a look at the top of your wrists. Notice any spots or freckles?
You're not alone.
Thousands have taken to Twitter to ask about the strange coincidence.
Ladies, do you have a freckle on the middle of your wrist, or is this a myth? ? pic.twitter.com/yRTQoatReS
— Gavin Thomas (@gavinthomas2015) June 11, 2020
Time Magazine reports as many as 12,000 people have joined the Twitter discussion and confirmed their wrist freckle, so why would so many of us have the same spot? Genes? Gender? Witchcraft?
Dermatologist Dr. Joyce Park has provided one simple answer. Speaking to Time magazine about the wrist freckle phenomenon she explained that sun exposure causes this common spot. "Freckles are basically areas of the skin where you have more pigment or melanin deposition from UV radiation," she told the magazine. " The forearms, the wrists and the hands are really common spots to get that exposure. If you think about it, when you're driving, that side of your wrists and hand are constantly being exposed to sunlight , even if you're wearing sleeves."
Another dermatologist had a slightly different take on the phenomenon. Dr. Joshua Zeicher told Time: "what we're actually seeing in these photos are moles or 'beauty marks', harmless overgrowths of pigment producing cells." Dr Zeichner believes that these marks are so common that "almost everyone has at least one mole on their arms."
Whether you call it a freckle, a mole or a beauty spot, both doctors advise paying attention to these marks, just in case they become cancerous. The dermatologists also advise wearing sunscreen regularly when exposed to sun, and to reapply at regular sunscreen intervals.
So sadly, having wrist freckles doesn't mean you're special. Or a witch. But hey, its still a fun thing to tease others about.
