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 It's well known that redheads sunburn more easily than others, which could place them at a higher risk of skin cancer. Now researchers from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and Fujita Health University in Japan have determined there may be an even more deadly effect of the sun for carrot tops' skin.The pigment that gives redheads their beautiful skin tone may also boost their risk for skin cancer caused by the sun--even if they have never burned, report The Associated Press and the BBC News. Those who have fair skin, light hair and light-colored eyes have always had a higher risk for skin cancer than those with darker skin, hair and eyes, but scientists have long wondered if something else is at play for redheads. Tiny chemical differences in how redheads' skin reacts to ultraviolet light could be that something else that boosts their risk of skin cancer. Now comes the first direct evidence that melanin is the culprit. Melanin is the skin pigment that darkens when exposed to the sun, producing either a tan or freckles. It turns out that men and women who have red hair have a chemically different type of melanin than those who have dark hair--one that is more vulnerable to a type of DNA-damaging stress from the sun's ultraviolet rays, reports AP. The study: Led by Duke chemistry professor John Simon, the team studied melanin in hair. Why hair and not skin? It's difficult to get melanin out of skin, and it's the same pigment in hair. So Simon purchased naturally red and black hair from wig makers and offered to pay for haircuts for redheaded Duke students in exchange for their hair clippings. He then analyzed how the pigments reacted as they absorbed either ultraviolet B rays associated with sunburn, or ultraviolet A rays, which can penetrate and damage skin even without a burn, reports AP. The results: Both types of light--UVA and UVB--caused pheomelanin, a photochemical reaction with the redheads' pigment that in turn creates oxidative stress that can lead to DNA and cell damage. Over time, this can cause cancer. The black hair was only affected with an oxidative reaction by the UVB light. More research is needed, but in the meantime redheads should slather on sunscreen that offers UVA and UVB protection. The study findings were presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. | ||||||||||||||||||
