Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

This is especially true for people with blond or light brown hair and pale skins

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

Not sure about why it lightens hair, but I know that the sun interacts with the melanin in your skin, which causes it to get darker. I would assume that the sun lightens hair because it causes it to fade, just like anything else that you leave out in the sun for an extended period of time.

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

That is an awesome question! I don't have an answer though.

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

I would guess that it has something to do with hair being dead, and skin being alive, but yea, hopefully somebody can offer a more scientific answer.

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

My response is simple and to the point :)

One our skin has pigment in it, different colors of pigment for different people. The more sun that comes into contact with it allows it to produce more pigment, hence making it seem darker.

Our hair on the other hand has no pigment, its the color that is determined by genetics. When light comes into contact with the hair folicals it bleachs the hair, in a sense. The hair absorbs the light (no matter what color your hair is, darker absorbs more) and kind of "burns" out the color in it.

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

Sun acts as a bleaching agent on your hair. The reason it turns skin dark is because of a chemical known as melanin. Melanin is activated by ultravoilet rays. Causing skin to darken is a defense mechanism because darker skin is less likely to burn than light skin.. OK?

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

Sunlight produces vitamin D on the skin which in turn results in darking of the skin. Not sure about hair though

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

Read BULLFROG 53

The Frog is absolutely correct on this question.

By the way: This is exactly the same question ask yesterday.

Think up a new question.

Yours: Grumpy

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

it's cooking you. the lighter the hair/skin,the faster it burns. hair has no feeling, so we don't notice when we have been in the sun long enough for our hair to start drying out. our skin does have feeling, so we get out of the sun when it gets too hot. that's why we tan a little at a time. as the skin dries and darkens, the cooking process slows down, and we can stay in the sun longer before it starts to hurt

Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?

The same reason boiling will harden an egg but soften a potato.