Isn't tanning an adaptation to sunlight since it is an increase of melanin?

Question

I just need to confirm this, since I was sure until people started to disagree.

Tanning is a release of melanin right? It is different to sun burn.

If there are two people, and person a gets a tan and person b doesn't get anything, that means person a is better off because the body protects itself, and is probably less damaged than person b.

Someone who tans more or easily is better off in sunlight right? Again, there is a difference between burning and tanning.

Answer 1

Tanning is a response to sunlight to protect the skin from harmful UV rays which can cause cancer.

The darker your skin (whether by tan or by genetics), the safer you are getting a given amount of sunlight.

Answer 2

Tanning does protect you from sunlight. Melanin blocks excessive which is harmful UV light. Some UV light is needed to make vitamin D but can be supplemented in the diet. Burning is when so much damage was done to organic compounds like DNA that cells are often killed. Tanning limits the UV to that which is beneficial but within the limits of self-repair of the cells.

Answer 3

yes, although it is possible to tan too much, so the skin doesn't get enough sunlight (required for vitamin D biosynthesis). otherwise everyone would probably express as much melanin as possible. also be careful about that word adaptation. it suggests evolution, and this sort of change is not evolution.