Summer is finally here and the sun is shining bright. Nobody wants to spend this beautiful season indoors and not enjoy the warm feeling of sun on their faces. But it can be dangerous! It is true that some sunshine — below sunburn level — is needed and can be beneficial as it activates the production of vitamin D. The feeling of wellbeing and joy we get from outdoor activities is beyond words. However, we can get carried away and this may result in tanning or a variety of more serious skin problems such as sunburn, photosensitive rashes, photo aging, prickly heat or even skin cancer.

Even though we tend to think that tanned people are healthy, a heavy tan can be harmful. It is a sign that our skin has been damaged and is trying to protect itself against further damage. Why is our skin getting darker after exposure to the sun? Is there a specific molecule in our body that responds to the sunlight? As many of us know this is due to a pigment called melanin. Melanin makes human skin, hair, and eyes appear darker. Dark-skinned people have more melanin in their skin compared to light-skinned ones. People of all races can have freckles, which are small, concentrated areas of increased melanin production.