A new drug aims to give you a tan with no actual sunlight required, artificial or otherwise. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital created the drug, which makes skin produce brown pigment. It could give people that sun-kissed look with no risk of skin cancer.
And get this – it could even work on red heads who tend to just burn. The drug isn't ready for commercial use yet, but research continues. This study, which is in the new issue of “Cell Reports,” is a follow-up to a 2006 study that identified the molecular pathways underlying the tanning response.
Dr. David E. Fisher, who led both studies, notes – “We are excited about the possibility of inducing dark pigment production in human skin without a need for either systemic exposure to a drug or UV exposure to the skin.”
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital