Tiny chemical differences in how our skin reacts to ultraviolet light could explain why redheads are more likely to suffer skin cancer, say US scientists.

The answer lies in the skin and hair pigment melanin, the team from Duke University, North Carolina, believe.

People with ginger hair have pigment that is chemically different from that of people with darker hair, they found.

This difference might explain why people with red hair burn easily and are prone to sun damage.

🙄 I know, I know, I know. But the science is interesting.