The pigment responsible for red hair and pale skin may have a role to play in the development of the most dangerous type of skin cancer, that is separate to the risk caused by exposure to the sun, new research suggests.

It is already known that melanocortin-1-receptor gene (MC1R) is an important gene that regulates the colour of skin in humans. According to these new findings, inheriting certain variants of the MC1R gene, especially those responsible for red hair, pale skin and freckles, doubles the risk of melanoma - the most serious type of skin cancer.

Around 800 people are diagnosed with melamoma in Ireland every year, while a further 7,900 are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer annually.

It is already well established that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources, such as sunbeds, increases the risk of developing skin cancer. However, these results are separate to those risk.

According to the Irish Skin Foundation, a charity that provides support to people with skin conditions, these findings have a particular relevance in Ireland, given than so many people here are pale or fair-skinned.

"Although this new discovery presents no obvious preventative strategy, what is known is that adoption of sun-safety measures significantly reduces the incidence of melanoma," the foundation said.

It encouraged people to know their skin type and take what ever precautions are necessary in the sun. To know your skin type, click here

The foundation urged people to protect themselves by wearing a t-shirt, sun hat and sunglasses and using a sunscreen with a factor of at least 30. They should also spend time in the shade when the sun is at its brightest, between 11am and 3pm.

People are also encouraged to regularly examine their own skin, particularly in relation to any moles they might have. The foundation recommends this guide to checking skin.

Meanwhile, a new programme supported by the foundation and aimed at getting children to protect their skin during the high-risk months of March to September is now underway. Generation SunSmart is targeting around 4,000 children in 62 primary schools in Sligo. All have been given a UV-shielding hat, which they are encouraged to wear to and from school and throughout the summer.

"It's a baseball hat with a flap that covers the ears and back of the neck. Eighty percent of UV rays come through even on a cloudy day. You can't see or feel UV - it doesn't feel hot, and it mightn't be a hot day, but the UV index could still be high," explained Selene Daly, a dermatology nurse specialist at Sligo University Hospital, who is heading up Generation SunSmart.

She pointed out that one-quarter of our total lifetime exposure to the sun's UV rays occurs when we are under the age of 18 and the majority of sun damage happens on the back of the neck and around the ears.

Details of this latest study on the MC1R gene are published in the journal, JAMA Dermatology.

For more information on the Irish Skin Foundation, click here