Why does the sun lighten hair if the skin darkens?

We’ve all heard about california wicks. This is a type of dye that mimics the color that hair acquires from spending a lot of time in the sun, like California surfers. Although it is not necessary to ride the waves in Malibu to experience this effect on your hair. Lightening hair with the sun is very common, but this may lead us to ask ourselves another question. Why brightens hair if the skin darkens under the same circumstances?

The answer is in melanin in both cases. It is the pigment that gives our skin its natural color regardless of the sun, but also when we are exposed to the royal star, our cells produce more defense mechanism. It occurs in the skin, but not in the hair, mainly because they cells are dead.

Already they can’t produce more melanin to replace what wears out, so little is left degrades and we see how the hair is lightened, as in California highlights. Now that that’s clear, what is the actual function of melanin?

Melanin to protect the skin from the sun

Melanin is a pigment that is produced inside a cell known as melanocytes. All people, regardless of their natural skin color, have approximately the same number of melanocytes. However, there are differences in the proportions of the two existing types of melanin.

eumelanin It is brownish brown so it is associated with darker skin. pheomelaninOn the other hand, it is yellow-reddish, so it is found in people with fair skin. And the same thing happens with hair. Dark-haired people have more eumelanin, while blondes and redheads have more pheomelanin.

Thus, the apparent function of melanin is color our skin and hair. But it’s much more than that, as it also protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which gets inside our cells. can damage DNA and cause problems ranging from accelerated skin aging to cancer. Thus, melanin is responsible for absorb radiation, like we’re building a black wall in front of something we want to protect. This melanin can be gradually restored, although there comes a time when it is not enough, which is why it is advisable to add wall more in the form sunscreen.

If we don’t add this double barrier, we might get burned; but even so, the melanin is later replaced. On the other hand, the situation with hair is quite different. There is more to see California moments of Malibu surfers.

What happens to hair when California highlights form?

Hair also contains melanocytes. different proportions of eumelanin and pheomelanin. But there is a problem, and that is that all hair cells are dead cells. The good part is that, while dead, their DNA cannot be damaged. There is no hair cancer. The bad news is that they have the melanin they have. They can’t do more.

If they are exposed to the sun, this will eventually cause the melanin to degrade and there will be no way for it to replace it. Therefore, little by little loses color. Now, while this melanin is not degraded, it should be noted that it also provides some protection. Not for dead hair cells, but for the skin underneath. In fact, it has been observed that people with fine hair or alopecia are more likely to develop sun-induced skin lesions.

But back to the topic of lightening hair. It is true that it can look beautiful. In fact, the California wicks experienced a big boom several times, and it continues to this day. However, the sun can also make hair more brittle and dryso it’s not as profitable as it might seem.

That’s why there are products that also protect your hair from the sunto avoid this bad part of the exhibition. Because if it was only brightened, we would save a lot on hairdressing, what a pity that it is not so simple.