One thing that has not changed between present day and older society is how necessary it is for women to take care of their skin. What has changed is the definition of caring for the skin. For example, in the old days, women would need to completely cover their skin from the rays of the sun, while now women think that getting a tan will make their skin look healthier.
When it comes to why women (specifically the aristocratic classes) shielded their skin, the main reason was because the freckle was their social and cosmetic enemy. To have a freckle meant that you had been exposed to the sun, and that was something that was meant for only working women. It was thus important to have the palest, most flawless skin possible to prove to other members of society that there was no need for them to work.
Nowadays, while the freckle can sometimes be an annoying flaw, it can also be something that some women consider to be a cure addition to their appearance. However, in order to really understand what a freckle is anatomically, it is important to understand skin pigmentation.
There are, of course, many different skin pigmentations. Each skin pigmentation is derived from a certain kind of cultural background. Skin pigmentation is determined by how much melanin is in the skin of a person. Melanin is a natural substance that occurs to protect the skin from sun damage. This explains why people who live in colder climates have paler skin for the most part, while people who live in desert regions have darker skin.
It is normal for a person to be born with a bit of extra pigmentation, but the extra pigmentation is also often caused by excessive exposure to the sun. How did tans suddenly change into being so fashionable? In the early part of the 20th century, fashionista and socialite Coco Chanel was photographed on vacation. Although the photographs themselves were in black and white, it was immediately evident that she had gotten some extra sun. Yes, Coco Chanel (gasp!) had gotten a suntan.
At first, the media was surprised, but women who saw the photographs thought to themselves that if she could get a tan, then it was acceptable for them to get tans as well. All of a sudden, women and men alike were ardently tanning on beaches to get a bronzed look. The appeal in tans is that they, albeit briefly, cover various skin imperfections like cellulite. They also make a person appear more toned.
The reality is that tans gotten by the sun as well as tanning booths are extremely dangerous. The reason for this is because they both contain high amounts of ultraviolet rays. These rays, when they come in contact with the surface of the skin, over stimulate the melanin production, and this is how little flecks of pigmentation are caused. These can also escalate into irregular moles, which can become cancerous. So, the best thing to do is to wear an SPF of 30 or higher, and also to have any skin irregularities checked by a dermatologist.
