Sun and your child's skin - what the experts say
Some skin types are more sensitive to the sun than other skin types
Exposure to the sun triggers the skin's natural biological defense mechanisms. The corneal layer thickens and cells known as melanocytes produce a natural pigment – melanin – which gradually colors the skin. This is tanning.
But not all skin types tan in the same way. Depending on how readily they produce melanin (and so go brown), the extent to which they are able to withstand the harmful effects of UV rays varies. There are six different phototypes:
|Phototype||Hair||Skin tone||Tan||Slight tan||Light or dark tan|
|I||Red||Pale white||+++||Always +||Never|
|III||Blond/ Light brown||Light to dark||+||Sometimes||Light or dark tan|
|V||Brown||Dark||0||Almost never||Deep brown|