Lower down in the epidermis are rounder cells called basal cells and scattered among these lie the melanocytes, the cells which produce the melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Melanin protects the body against the damaging ultraviolet rays present in sunlight by absorbing these rays. Most Australians don't make enough melanin to protect them against the harmful effects of our very strong ultraviolet radiation. Below the epidermis is the dermis, which contain the roots of hairs, glands which make sweat and oil, blood and lymph vessels, and nerves. Moles and freckles are both areas of skin where there is a lot of melanin.
Freckles are flat and they gradually darken in sunlight and tend to fade in winter.
Moles can be flat or raised, and they remain constant in colour. Two out of three Australians will get a skin cancer at some stage of their life. Everyone in Australia is at risk of developing skin cancer, but a fair-skinned person who doesn't tan but goes red in the sun is at greater risk. People with red hair and blue eyes, and people who freckle or have many moles, are also at increased risk. Using sunlamps, sunbeds and solariums may also increase the risk of developing skin cancer.