Skin Damage

• Erythema, mutagenesis, cell death.

• Caused by DNA damage (thymine dimerization and hydration) and protein-DNA and protein-protein crosslinking.

• Most serious in short-wave UV region. Sunscreens filter out shortest wavelengths. However, there is also less-efficient damage above 350 nm, which seems to involve oxygen.

• Should we use tanning parlors?

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