Dr Tina Fang

When we hear the word albinism many of us picture very pale skin or white hair. That visible difference is real, but it is only one part of a genetic condition that affects how pigment is made in the body and how the eyes develop. For Australians aged 40 and over, who know how relentless

If you have red hair and fair skin you probably recognise how quickly the skin reddens in the sun, even when you take precautions. That pattern is not just bad luck — it comes down to the pigments your skin makes and how they respond to ultraviolet light. Understanding the chemistry behind that vulnerability helps

For decades in Australia a bronzed look has been prized as a sign of health and vitality. But the truth is less flattering: a tan is not a badge of wellness. It is your skin’s emergency response to ultraviolet (UV) injury. UV radiation damages the DNA — the genetic blueprint — inside skin cells, and

Have you ever wondered what your skin is doing the moment you step into the Australian sun? For many people in their 40s and beyond, decades of sun exposure show up as freckles, uneven colour or patches that worry you. Those visible changes are the result of an elegant, cellular defence system working just beneath

Have you ever wondered how your skin quietly mends after a scrape or why a tan fades? The answer is a continuous renewal cycle happening just beneath the surface. In broad terms, it takes roughly one to two months for new skin cells to be made at the bottom of the outer skin and then

When you notice lines, discolouration or a leathery texture in the mirror, it’s tempting to blame only time. Ageing skin is partly about the clock—your genetics and the natural decline in cell function—but in Australia much of what you see is shaped by environmental factors you can change. Separating natural, chronological ageing from sun damage

Across human history there’s a clear pattern: populations living near the equator developed darker skin, in part because the pigment melanin (the brown pigment in skin) reduces the risk of UV-driven damage and helps protect folate, a vitamin important for cell division and pregnancy. As groups moved away from the equator into areas with lower

When we look at the range of human skin tones across the globe we are seeing a long-running evolutionary response to competing needs: protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the requirement to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone-like nutrient produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) light; it helps the

When we talk about why people who lived near the equator evolved darker skin, the simple answer is not just about avoiding sunburn or skin cancer. It’s about protecting a vital nutrient called folate (also known as folic acid). Folate is a B vitamin that the body needs for DNA repair and cell division; during

You have probably noticed that the Australian sun seems to have more bite. A mild, breezy day can leave unprotected skin red even when the temperature feels comfortable. That is because ultraviolet radiation, or UV, cannot be seen or felt, and its strength is not measured by the temperature. Australia receives some of the highest