Understanding how your skin tans

     Ultraviolet light consists of two main components, UVA rays and UVB rays, both of which contribute differently to your tan. I remember them by UVA (age) and UVB (burn). UVA rays can damage your skin and you may not see the damage for years to come. UVA rays are longer and penetrate deeper into the dermis. UVB are what cause your skin to burn the quickest and are shorter in length.      

     Tanning occurs in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). When the skin is exposed to UVB rays, melanocytes (pigment producing cells) produce melanin which is responsible for your tan. When exposed to UVA rays the melanin oxidizes (darkens). When the skin darkens, it is its way of protecting itself from too much UV exposure. Your heredity dictates how much melanin your body's melanocytes naturally produce. The darker your skin is naturally the more melanin the melanocytes will be able to produce.
 
      A sunburn occurs when too much UV light reaches the skin and disrupts the tiny blood vessels near the skins surface (erythema).

Be sun smart and slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some sunscreen :) There's no such thing as a healthy tan.