Sunlight damages skin, even in the shade

Skin damage caused by ultraviolet radiation lasts a very long time, even after hiding from the sun in the shade. Researchers say that ultraviolet radiation after sunbathing, including in a tanning bed, can damage DNA in special melanocyte cells that produce the substance melanin that gives the skin color. Melanocyte damage is a major cause of skin cancer, scientists say.

Melanin was previously thought to protect the skin by blocking ultraviolet light. However, a new study has found that melanin has both protective and harmful effects.

The researchers exposed the melanocytes of mice and humans to ultraviolet radiation. In melanocytes with melanin, DNA damage occurred immediately and lasted for several hours after the radiation stopped. Melanocytes that did not contain melanin were damaged only when exposed to ultraviolet light.

If you look inside the skin of an adult, you can see that melanin protects it from damage. It works like a shield. However, it does both good and bad things, says study author Douglas Brush, professor of therapeutic radiology and dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. Scientists have explained the process that leads to DNA damage even after sunbathing ends. It turns out that ultraviolet radiation activates enzymes that stimulate the production of melanin. In the process, the same damage is created in the dark as during sun exposure.

The process is very slow, so scientists are looking for ways to prevent it. One such way they see the use of night cream after tanning, able to block the transmission of the negative effect to skin cells.



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Source: hi-news.ru