Sun’s UV radiation rendered harmless by skin pigment

Skin pigment converts UV radiation into heat through a rapid chemical reaction that shoots protons from the molecules of the pigment in order to protect the body from thesun’s harmful rays, researchers have discovered.

The team from Lund University in Sweden, working with colleagues in France andItaly, have studied pigment in the skin and its building blocks. Pigment in both skinand hair comprises two different types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin makes us develop a suntan and gives colour to brown and black hair,whereas those with red hair and pale skin instead have high levels of pheomelanin.

“We found that eumelanin converts harmful UV radiation into heat with almost 100%efficiency. The chemical reaction is incredibly quick, taking less than a thousandth of abillionth of a second”, said VillySundström, professor of chemistry at Lund.“By understanding how the body naturally protects itself against UV light, wecan develop better sun protection products based on the same principles. Thiswould provide better protection against skin cancer.