Why is white skin more prone to sunburns when whiteness typically is better for reflecting light and not absorbing heat, compared to darkness?
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Whiteness is good for reflecting *visible* light, but it’s the UV component of sunlight that causes damage.
Dark skin looks dark because it has more melanin, a dark pigment. Besides absorbing visible light, melanin also absorbs UV wavelength light well, protecting the tissues deeper than the surface melanin from being damaged.
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