Scientists: why do I not burn more in the sun?

[Snoozebox]

I've always been very pale (more yellow-toned though rather than pink) and in the last few years have noticed I don't tend to burn as much as other fair people. I was out all day today (South - fully sunny) and DH, who is much darker than me, is now much more rosy than I am. So we're most of the other white-skinned people around.

I also find it difficult to tan...it takes forever and I don't go more than slightly golden.

I'm confused! Is this a known thing or what? I don't have any foreign ancestry at all in the last 100 or so years. I have got lots more small moles than the average though. Am I just a melanin freak of nature?

Maybe you apply sun cream more carefully than other people?

I'm like this.

Am whiter than white but in the sun I don't go red, just a whiter shade of white!

I don't ever apply sun cream in the UK...

It doesn't mean that the sun isn't causing harm to your skin. You don't have to burn to suffer permanent skin damage.
I don't know why you don't burn or tan - we're all different.

I'm the same. I have super pale skin that doesn't tan and doesn't really burn. I rarely wear sun cream in the UK. It's odd that my darker skinned partner will burn but my skin just stays the same unburnt White.

What's your eye colour? Skin cancer doc told me that eye colour had to be considered in conjunction with skin as blue eyed plus pale skin was higher risk for burning than other eye colours with same skin shade. I assume he knew his subject, I've never checked that fact myself.

Currently in Greece and just pondering this very thing earlier (as I do every holiday). I am naturally fair but do take a reasonable tan now. DH on the other hand is very dark skinned naturally and due to spending most of his time outdoors.. He's normally mistaken for a local whenever we're anywhere hot. We're both equally careful with sun protection... Guess who is much more liable to burn? Yes, DH

Oh and I am also a warm toned pale - yellowish skin, hazel eyes, naturally golden brown hair.. DH is also warm toned though..

I've never pinned down my eye colour darkish grey/blue I suppose, with a fair amount of hazel too. Certainly not in the fairest category in terms of hair/eye colour, despite my pale skin.

I've got a bit more colour after spending 7 hours in the sun at the weekend. everyone else around me had bright red arms/back of neck but I was fine.

I suppose we can't complain I don't have a bit of red but DH (who is using same high factor sun screen) is looking very Greek but with blotchy red bits..

I'm the same, very pale but don't tan or burn easily. I put sunscreen on my face for anti wrinkle reasons but never both with my arms and legs.

I'm yellow toned pale too and "should" burn more. I'm 1/4 Portugese/South Indian though ... you just can't tell to look at me. Many of my 1st cousins are olive skinned.

I still wear sun cream to prevent wrinkles, though it turned out my vit D was very low as I wasn't getting enough no-sun-cream sun exposure. So I have to do that too now!

I am also very pale, brown eyes, brown hair. I don't burn or go pink, while DH looks like a lobster after spending the same afternoon at the beach or in the garden as me I don't particularly tan much either, slight golden glow maybe. I spent hours as a teen trying to get sunburnt legs, in the hope they would eventually go brown, and it never ever worked.

I don't generally use sunscreen on myself either except on my décolletage and shoulder tips - despite my regular lack of sunburn I did once burn those areas, one day back in 2002. But only once! And it was freakily the only parts on me that did burn.

DD (who is like me physically) has never burned or even looked pink from the sun, whereas her DBro who looks more like DH, has had a few pink bits due to unexpected sun exposure! Littlest DD, too soon to tell which one of us she takes after yet.

My kids are 12 and have never burned either - I'm not particularly careful with sunscreen either, they don't tan either.
The only way I burn is if I sit in the same place for a few hours and it's neck shoulders and thighs but I don't tend to do that.