I have already put several self-tanners on my body, but without results. It doesn’t make me tan the slightest bit. How come?
Asker: Sara, 23 years old
Answer
Self-tanners stimulate the production of melanin by melanocytes. If the melanocytes are missing or do not function properly, self-tanning agents will also fail to stimulate the melanocytes to produce melanin. There are self-tanners that stimulate ‘melanocyte stimulating hormone’ and there are those that act on the gene expression of the melanocytes. Both have a different effect. It is therefore best to test the other if one does not work.
Answered by
Dr. Peter Strager
Molecular Microbiology Biomedical Sciences Medical and pharmaceutical research Molecular Biotechnology
university of Ghent
http://www.ugent.be
.