How does the sun make us tan

Question: How does the sun make us tan
- Keywords:
  skin,
  sun,
  UV
Asked by ep to Ryan on 24 Jun 2015.
- Ryan Cheale answered on 24 Jun 2015:
  
  Well coincidently I was out in the sun and fell asleep.. got burnt.
  
  Melanocytes are special skin cells that produce melanin (skin pigment) when they are exposed to ultraviolet light in sunlight. The pigment absorbs UV radiation in sunlight, so it helps to protect skin cells from UV damage. Your body actually produces two kinds of pigmant. One is called eumelanin and it is responsible for the golden brown color we normally associate with tanning. Another pigment is called phaeomelanin and it produces a red color. Redheads and blondes produce more phaeomelanin and less eumelanin, which is why they don’t tan as well.

Question: How does the sun make us tan