UV Rays May Continue to Damage Skin Even Hours After Sun Exposure

Scientists have found that the skin damage caused by UV rays does not stop once you get out of the sun.

The latest study is published in the journal Science. It is common sense that lighter skin is more vulnerable to sun light. Research says that melanin that is supposed to protect our skin may also be connected to some negative effects.

Professor Douglas Brash, a dermatologist at Yale University, said: 'So our understanding has been that you put on sunscreen before you go out into the sun and that protects your skin.

'Here you have a different situation where what you want to do is add something after you leave the beach or tanning bed that protects you for several hours after.

'You could imagine designing chemicals that dissipate that energy before it has a chance to get to the DNA.

'There are chemicals like that that already exist and we used some of those as tools in the research, but you could imagine getting better ones that are practical to use in the skin.'

Brash along with his colleagues wanted to make out how melanin can be involved in it. According to previous studies kinds of melanin ratios that produce lighter skin hair colours may make us more suspectible to skin cancers.

"Sure, blondes and redheads are more sensitive to sunburns and skin cancer," said Brash. "But then you look at countries like Egypt, where many people have fairly light skin tones, and there isn't the high skin cancer incidence you'd expect. So I was never sure I bought that the lightness of the skin was the issue."