When does skin darken?

Does your skin darken only when you stay out in the sun for a long time, or even if you are exposed for like only five (5) minutes? Is it actually possible for your skin to darken if you are exposed to the sun everyday but only once each day for only 10 minutes?
When does skin darken?
The amount of darkening of the skin depends not only on the amount of time you're in the sun, but also the intensity of the UV rays. For instance, if you're outside for an hour at noon, you're going to be darker than if you were outside for an hour when the sun just came up. Exposure to UV rays causes the skin to produce melanin, a pigment which absorbs the UV rays. It's the increased melanin production which causes the color change of a tan. As far as how long it takes for someone's skin to noticeably tan, it varies from person to person, based on how much pigment their skin naturally has. For very fair people, who do not have much melanin in their skin already, it is possible to get a sunburn in 10 or 15 minutes. They aren't able to produce enough melanin to get a tan before their skin burns. For darker people, they have more melanin at their disposal, so they will just tan darker before they burn. I can't really help you much on "how long will it take for me to tan", it just varies.





But interesting note- albino individuals can not tan at all. They will only burn. They lack melanin completely, and therefore cannot manufacture the coloring for a tan.





2nd edit: So really, tans are your body's response to the harm that's being done by the sun's UV rays. If you cut yourself, a scab forms. If you go out in the sun or go to tanning salons, a tan/sunburn forms. Tanning should be viewed as something which is negative and to be avoided, because it's a defensive response from your body in reaction to harm that's being done at a cellular level. UV rays which hit your cells degrade and mutate the DNA within the cells. That's how you get skin cancer.
When does skin darken?
yes, you will get a nice slow long lasting tan. failing that. use a sunbed
Reply:If you are generally fair, its hard for you to get tanned. Prolonged exposure to the sun might cause skin cancer. UV rays are dangerous.





Darker skinned people have more melanin and thus, get tanned easier and faster, even if its just 2 minutes under the sun while crossing the road.
Reply:Yes, I know that just from driving, having the one arm hang outside the window, the other arm inside the car, the left arm is always more tan. Ask any trucker, although, I am not a trucker, OK? :-)