New cream makes your skin really tan WITHOUT any damaging UV rays hitting your skin (and it works for gingers too)
Scientists hope the new drug could slow the spread of skin cancer but still give people the tan they desire
A new cream that mimics sunlight could give skin a golden tan without exposure to harmful UV rays, experts have discovered.
Scientists have developed a drug that tricks the skin into releasing the pigment melanin, which causes the skin to darken.
Tests on skin samples and mice showed the drug could see the end of fake tan and it even worked on gingers who typically just burn in the sun.
The team from Massachusetts General Hospital hope their discovery could prevent skin cancer and even slow the signs of ageing.
Dr David Fisher, one of the researchers,: "It has a potent darkening effect.
"Under the microscope it's the real melanin, it really is activating the production of pigment in a UV-independent fashion."
The drug is rubbed into the skin and starts a chain of chemical reactions that causes the body to produce melanin and, therefore, creating a tan.
Dr Fisher said the lack of progress in the prevention of skin cancer was a "very significant frustration", adding: "Our real goal is a novel strategy for protecting skin from UV radiation and cancer."
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
There are more than 15,000 new cases of melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK.
More than 2,000 people in the UK died from skin cancer in 2014.
While a tan is often associated with beauty, the sad truth is that a tan is a sign of damage that has been inflicted on the delicate skin cells covering your body.
It can also be a sign that the skin is trying to protect itself from harsh UV rays.
Those UV rays can come from direct sunlight, reflected sunlight bouncing off water, snow, concrete and other surfaces, as well as the real villain of the tanning world: sunbeds.
The damage from UV rays can also cause wrinkles and premature ageing, but Dr Fisher hopes the drug could help skin look healthier for longer.
WHY IS TANNING DANGEROUS?
Everyone exposed to UV rays is at risk of sunburn, though some people are more vulnerable than others.
Our skin produces a pigment called melanin, which is what gives skin its colour.
People with darker skin have more melanin, while fairer people produce less.
It is melanin that makes your skin tan.
The body normally makes melanin to try and protect the deeper layers of skin from damage.
This is why people with fairer skin, like redheads, tend to burn in the sun and people with darker skin become more tanned.
When the skin is damaged by the sun’s rays, it makes even more melanin to try and protect it from more damage.
This is what causes the skin to change colour.
When your body is producing more melanin it is actually trying to protect you from developing skin cancer, as damage has already been caused to the DNA in your skin cells from the sun.
You cannot tan without having damaged you skin cells first.
The more melanin you produce, so the darker you go, the more at risk of skin cancer you are because you’ve had more exposure to UV rays.
People who spend a lot of time outside in the sun, are at increased risk of skin cancer if they don’t protect their skin.
Matthew Gass, from the British Association of Dermatologists, told the Sun Online: "This research is currently at a very early stage, and quite a lot more research has to be done before we’ll see this being used in real world situations, however, it’s a really interesting approach to sun protection and skin cancer prevention.
"Typically our bodies produce more melanin as a means of protection when there has been UV damage to the skin, this is what a tan is.
"However, this drug appears to trigger the darkening process without any damage taking place. This additional melanin helps protect the skin from UV radiation, which would help prevent skin cancer and skin ageing."
Mr Gass said that developments in skin cancer research are particularly important in the UK as skin cancer is the most common form of the disease.
He added: "With rates of skin cancer relentlessly increasing year on year any new tools to help protect people are welcome."
The Massachusetts General Hospital eventually hope to combine the new drug with sun-cream to give people the best possible protection from the sun.
Their tests, reported in the journal , showed melanin produced by the drug was able to block harmful UV rays.
The drug is not yet available for commercial use as more safety testing is required.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368