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.
There are several reasons why your face may not tan as easily as the rest of your body: Skin Type: The skin on your face is often more sensitive and may have a different thickness or texture compared to the skin on your body. If you have fair or sensitive skin, it may be more prone to burning than tanning.
The pigment melanin is what makes people tan. When your skin is naturally more pigmented(darker), it means that you have more melanin than people who have lighter skin. The more melanin a person has in their natural skin, the easier it is for them to get a tan and not burn.
The activation and production of melanin is responsible for skin pigmentation and the dark colour on your skin. Compared to the rest of the body, skin on the legs does not produce the same amount of melanin, which results in legs getting less tan.
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.
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.
Fruit and veg that's high in beta carotene, which can help you tan, but without burning. Beta-carotene is widely recognised as being an excellent antioxidant that fights free radicals and reduces skin damage and oxidative stress on the skin, helping limit the harmful effects of UV light.
Why won't my tan go away? When the cells become damaged with pigment, discoloration that doesn't fade occurs, leading to a tan that doesn't fade. In fact, it tends to stay dark unless you choose to have this hyperpigmentation treated professionally.
If you are returning from a holiday in the sun to a colder environment with little sun, you may notice that your tan will fade even faster. This is because, as the tanned skin cells are shed, the production of melanin (which causes a tan) decreases due to the lack of UV radiation from the sun.
Dry skin is possibly the most notorious enemy of a flawless tan. Hydrated skin helps the tanning product spread evenly, while dry skin will soak it up, causing darker patches. To avoid this, keep your skin moisturised regularly with Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion , applying especially in any areas prone to dryness.
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.
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.
Light skin is most commonly found amongst the native populations of Europe, East Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, Siberia, and North Africa as measured through skin reflectance.
Therefore, what will determine whether a person can tan or simply turn red is both the amount of melanin produced by their skin cells and its quality. Or, the ratio between “good and bad” melanin.
Unless pale skin is accompanied by pale lips, tongue, palms of the hands, inside of the mouth, and lining of the eyes, it is probably not a serious condition and does not require treatment. General paleness affects the entire body. It is most easily seen on the face, lining of the eyes, inner mouth, and nails.
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.
So if you start with 15 minutes in the sun and slowly increase the time, in a few weeks, you'll have a tan and be able to stay in the sun much longer and not burn, assuming you can tan enough for that.
Currently, no safe or proven method exists to increase melanin – the pigment, or color, in a person's skin, hair, and eyes. A person's genetics determine their natural melanin levels and skin color. In general, people who have darker skin tones have more melanin than those with lighter skin tones.
The primary stimulus for melanogenesis and subsequent melanosome production is UV radiation, which upregulates melanocyte production of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and its downstream products, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
The incidence of this change varies, and depends on the type of medication involved. Some of the most common drugs involved are NSAIDs, antimalarials, psychotropic drugs, Amiodarone, cytotoxic drugs, tetracyclines, and heavy metals such as silver and gold (which must be ingested, not just worn).