What to do if your skin gets tanned easily? What causes your skin to get tanned easily?

Everyone knows that in the hot summer, the ultraviolet rays are very strong. If you go out, you will easily get burned by the scorching sun and your skin will become tanned.

What to do if your skin gets tanned easily

Skin color (including overall skin color and local blemishes) is produced in the epidermis and is determined by a substance called melanin. Melanin is formed in melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. The formation process involves a series of complex oxidation reactions. One of the most important oxidation reactions is the conversion of an amino acid called tyrosine into DOPA (dihydroxyphenylalanine). This reaction requires the participation of a substance called tyrosinase, so the key to reducing the production of melanin is to inhibit the function of tyrosinase.

When the human body is stimulated by external factors such as ultraviolet rays, the activity of tyrosinase in melanocytes will be activated, stimulating the conversion of tyrosine into DOPA, thereby forming more melanin in the basal layer to counteract the damage of ultraviolet rays to the skin. Normal skin metabolism takes about 28 days. During this period, melanin is only produced in an amount sufficient to protect the skin. It enters the skin surface with cell metabolism and is finally peeled off with aging keratin. However, if you are exposed to the sun for a long time or your body's metabolic function is poor, melanin will be deposited in the epidermis of the skin. If melanin is deposited evenly, the skin color will become darker; if melanin is deposited locally, freckles, dark spots, etc. will form.

The ultraviolet rays in the sun can stimulate the melanin in the skin, induce skin lesions such as freckles, and affect your appearance. Therefore, medical cosmetology experts call the sun the enemy of skin health, emphasizing that women should be especially careful. Even in the cold winter, "ultraviolet rays" are still strong, so it is best to apply sunscreen when going out. In addition, since the effect of sunscreen is relatively short-lived, generally 2-3 hours, remember to use it repeatedly!

Reasons for darkening skin

1. Taking a shower too vigorously

Some people like to rub their skin vigorously when taking a bath, intending to wash it more cleanly. However, they do not know that rubbing too hard or repeatedly can also cause the skin to darken, which is called "friction melanosis." The mystery of friction melanosis has not yet been fully revealed, but experts have confirmed that it is related to improper scrubbing of the body. It is mainly caused by mechanical stimulation such as strong friction pressure on the local skin. It often occurs in people who rub hard with bath towels or chemical fiber bath towels when taking a bath. It manifests as light brown to dark brown pigmentation in a diffuse reticular pattern, and is more common on bony protrusions such as the clavicle, ribs, scapula, elbows, and knees.

2. Food

Certain foods are also the root cause of skin darkening. Foods rich in metal elements such as copper, iron, and zinc have this disadvantage. This is because these metal elements can directly or indirectly increase the amount and activity of substances such as tyrosine, tyrosinase and dopamine which are related to the production of melanin. These foods mainly include animal liver, animal kidney, oysters, shrimp, crab, beans, walnuts, black sesame, raisins, etc.

3. Medication

Many drugs can change the normal skin color. About 10% of patients taking quinine develop blue pigment spots on their faces. Among sedatives, chlorpromazine poses the greatest threat to skin color. Those who take it for a long time will develop butterfly spots on their faces and necks, and brown-gray, light blue or light purple spots on their arms and other parts of their bodies.

In addition, repeated use of mercury-containing ointments can also leave brown pigmentation on the affected area. There are more anti-cancer drugs that cause skin changes, such as myleran, which can turn the skin color into brown-red, and bleomycin, which can cause melanin accumulation, and so on.

What is the reason why the skin gets tanned easily? Through the detailed answers of the above experts on this issue, I believe that everyone should now clearly understand that there are many reasons why the skin is easily tanned. I hope that everyone can actively and effectively take some preventive measures against tanning in daily life, and take active measures to whiten the skin if the skin is tanned.