A lotion that stimulates production of the skin pigment melanin induces a deep tan in specially bred laboratory mice. Those mice have skin similar to that of red-headed, fair-skinned people, who are notoriously poor tanners.
The animals developed their tans without being exposed to the sun and its ultraviolet (UV) rays. Further tests showed that the additional melanin protected the mice against UV-induced DNA damage, sunburn, and skin cancer.
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