MODEL RELEASED. Children sunbathing. Three 11 year old boys sitting on a beach and looking at the sea. The boy in the middle is of a Northern European background and has a fairer skin tone than the two boys either side of him who are of a Mediterranean background. Individuals with darker skin tones are less susceptible to skin damage than those with fair skin due to the greater presence of the photoprotective pigment, melanin. However, they should still use protection.