• Question: why does the sun make your hair light and your skin dark?

    Asked by scarlettpavlov to Janey P on 20 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Jane Paget

      Jane Paget answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      The reason that the sun makes your skin darker and your hair lighter is because of the pigment malanin. The UV radiation from sun rays can damage your skin cells by causing the DNA they contain to mutate. Melanin protects your skin and hair from these harmful rays. The difference in skin is that when exposed to UV your skin produces more of this pigment (which is dark in colour) to increase your protect. However in your hair the UV rays break down the pigment causing sun bleaching. The melanin in your hair isn’t renewed as hair doesn’t consist of living cells.

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