if the sun lightens your hair than why does it darken your skin?

Answer 1

Your hair is not actively alive and only contains color given to it when it was growing the folicle/root. When sunlight hits your hair, the high energy light breaks apart the molecules responsible for giving your hair it's color.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen01/gen01217.htm

Your skin is an active and living part of your body and is your first defense against all the things that can harm you which includes sunlight. So your skin contains pigment generating cells (melanocytes) which detect high energy ultraviolet radiation and are then stimulated to produce more pigment, which is our body's natural defense against the effects of ultraviolet rays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanocyte

Answer 2

Melanin in the skin makes it darker with exposure to the sun. The same has the opposite effect on the hair; making it lighter, or sun-streaked. I hope this helps.

Answer 3

The production of melanin is the cells response to ultraviolet radiation. Melanin pigments provide a protective barrier to the nucleus which prevents the sun's radiation from damaging the cell's DNA. Since hair is dead cells, it is not able to replenish damaged pigments.

Answer 4

Because the sun takes the color out of your hair,it bleaches it. However your skin absorbs the sun's rays making it darker.

Subsequently those who live in cold climates unprotected have lighter/whiter pale skins. And people in warmer/hot climates such as jungles, closer to equator have black or dark skin.

Answer 5

As the malatonin in your skin is damaged by the sun it gives you a "tan" your hair is actually just being bleached out.

Answer 6

The sunlight we see is in ultraviolet light.

Answer 7

melatonin is in skin. it's not in hair

Answer 8

melanin