A team from Massachusetts General Hospital have found that redheads have a pigment in their skin that can actively contribute to the development of melanoma.  

There are several types of the pigment melanin in the skin. A dark brown or black form called eumelanin is found in people with dark hair or skin while a blond-to-red pigment called pheomelanin is prevalent in people with red hair and fair skin.

Studies of mice containing each type of pigment were subjected to UV radiation and found that while only a few dark mice had developed melanomas half of the red mice had developed melanoma formations.

‘This may provide an opportunity to develop better sunscreens and other measures that directly address this pigmentation-associated risk while continuing to protect against UV radiation, which remains our first line of defence against melanoma and other skin cancers.’ said research leader Dr. David Foster.

Read more Scientists crack why redheads are more prone to melanoma