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Even avoiding tanning won't save redheads from skin cancer
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
A team of scientists from the Charlestown Skin Research Centre have found that fair-skinned, red-haired people are at risk of developing melanoma even with full protection from UV rays.
The research was conducted under the direction of Dr. David Fisher.
According to experts, constant protection and complete refusal to tan do not reduce the risk of skin cancer in red-haired people. This is explained by the fact that their DNA contains a damaged gene that protects skin cells from mutations.
Melanoma is one of the most common types of malignant tumors in the world. According to WHO statistics, 132,000 people worldwide become victims of skin cancer every year. Redheads and blondes are advised to avoid excessive sun exposure, because their skin is poorly protected from the sun's ultraviolet radiation and is most susceptible to melanoma.
A team of scientists in lava with Dr. Fisher conducted an experiment on mice, implanting them with human genes that are responsible for skin and hair color. The result was three groups of animals: one - blondes, the second - brunettes and the third - redheads.
The brunette rodents differed from their relatives because they had a normal set of genes, unlike the other two groups, which had genes with different mutations. In particular, the "redheads" had a damaged gene MC1R, which is responsible for the production of eumelanin, a black pigment. If this area is damaged, then the hair and skin cells begin to produce another dye - pheomelanin, which makes redheads red.
The blond rodents had no damage to the MC1R gene, but did not produce a single pigment molecule. This anomaly is caused by a mutation in another gene, Tyr.
The goal of the specialists was to find out how susceptible the mice from each group were to developing skin cancer. To do this, the researchers crossed the animals with rodents genetically predisposed to developing melanoma.
After the birth of the second generation of mice, they were placed in a separate cage and their vital activity was observed for a year, while limiting the exposure of their skin to ultraviolet rays as much as possible.
As it turned out, about half of the descendants of the "red-haired" mice died of skin cancer in the first year of life. And the number of "brunettes" and "blondes" decreased by only 10-20%, despite the fact that their genome contained a dangerous mutation.
According to scientists, the reason is not only that eumelanin molecules protect skin cells from ultraviolet radiation, but also that they prevent the oxidation of DNA molecules and the appearance of cancerous mutations.
Experts say that redheads can reduce the risk of developing melanoma thanks to antioxidants and drugs that stimulate the synthesis of eumelanin.
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