Tanning ability is highly variable across the population (even among people of the same ethnicity), and is about 45% heritable. You can't necessarily answer the question, “Why can some people not tan?” just by looking at race or ethnicity.
Yes, it is possible for individuals with very pale skin to have difficulty tanning. People with fair skin typically have less melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color and tanning. This can make them more prone to sunburn rather than tanning.
Because vitiligo spots have no melanin, they can't tan. If the skin isn't protected with sunscreen, vitiligo patches may burn or scar. Getting a tan on the rest of your body will only highlight the white patches, especially if you have light skin.
The reason you don't tan is because you don't have enough melanin in your skin. Melanin is the tanning colour in our skin. When we go in the sun it is produced to protect our skin. The evolutionary advantage of white skin was that, when there was seldom any sun; skin started to produce less melanin.
Health and Lifestyle Factors: Factors such as diet, hydration, and overall health can impact skin condition and its ability to tan. Additionally, medications that become more common with age may increase sensitivity to sunlight. Overall, these changes contribute to a diminished tanning response in older adults.
There are many differences between the melanin produced by one person and another, both in quantity and quality. This happens because “Each of us produces a different quantity and quality of melanin. Melanin is a pigment produced by our cells found in the basal layer of the skin,” explains Dr Puig.
Genetic factors influencing sunburn and tanning
Certain genes influence melanin production and skin color, affecting whether you tan or burn. People with fair skin have less melanin and are more prone to burning, while those with darker skin have more melanin and are more likely to tan.
If the skin has been inflamed or is severely dry, the melanocytes (cells that give the skin its color) in that area do not react to UV light the same as they do in non-affected/dry skin areas.
In general, UV radiation tends to generate a darker skin tone for those with medium, moderate brown, and dark brown skin, but not for those with white, pale white, and very dark brown to dark skin. Those with white or pale skin tend to burn but not tan.
Individuals with fair skin have a low production of melanin, which increases their sensitivity to the sun's rays. This skin type is particularly prone to sunburn and often struggles to tan. However, it's not impossible for fair skin to achieve a slight tan.
Type IV – Brown skin color, brown hair, and brown eyes, tans more than average, rarely burns, and rarely freckles. Common ethnic background: the Mediterranean, Southern European, Hispanic.
As the summer sun starts to heat up, people flock to the beach to work on their summer tan. For the longest time it was believed that people with fair skin and red hair were only capable of turning tomato red under sun.
Natural Sun Tanning
Fair skin can tan under the sun, but only with care. Start with short, consistent exposure, about 10-15 minutes a day during safer times like early morning or late afternoon.
To achieve best results, it is paramount that the DHA in the spray tan and the amino acids in the skin react to each other. Skincare products like moisturisers, deodorants and oily products often obstruct this process and the spray tan will not set properly.
Skin Type 1
You may be Type 1 if you have pale skin that always burns and never tans. You probably have light blue, gray or green eyes and your hair is naturally blonde or red. The main challenge with this type of skin is sun damage, from seasonal burns to developing signs of aging from sun damage faster.
When learning how to avoid sun tanning, remember to wear dark and bright-coloured clothes as these absorb more UV rays and restrict those harmful rays from penetrating your skin. While wearing sunglasses to prevent sun damage, you can also use a hat with a brim. This will protect your face from direct sun rays.
Today, having a tan is associated with people that have an active, outdoor lifestyle. A tan therefore makes people look healthier and fit. Pale skin is often associated with sickness (e.g. anaemia) which is another, indirect reason why a tan makes people seem healthier.
Skin Type and Sensitivity
For example, if you are a red head and have very light skin, you'll more likely struggle to tan due to low melanin. Fair Skin: If you have fair skin (skin type 1 or 2), your skin is more sensitive to UV and prone to burning.
Everyone has a limit. Your body can only create a certain amount of Melanin at a time which means that your tanning will only go so dark within a day. It also means that if you exceed this time frame then you could put your skin at risk.
Papaya: Like carrots, orange fruits and vegetables, such as papaya, help to enhance your tan naturally thanks to its high beta-carotene levels. Melon: This refreshing fruit, rich in antioxidants and beta-carotenes will help you to keep your golden skin tone.
Sorry, if you're pale white you'll stay that way. There are several varieties of skin color, categorized into 6 different types by the Fitzpatrick system. Type I always burns and never tans when exposed to the sun's UV rays or to a tanning bed.
Basically, hypopigmentation is skin that won't tan, or looks lighter than the rest of your normal skin color.
Your Sunscreen Doesn't Have Enough UVA Protection
However, it's the UVA rays that cause tanning. In North America, look for the words “Broad Spectrum” as an indication that the sun filters used in the formulation protect from both UVB and UVA rays.