Yes, it's due to the amount of melanin in one's skin. Have you ever seen someone with a sunburn? It's painful, the skin is red, hot to the touch, and the perso

Yes, it's due to the amount of melanin in one's skin. Have you ever seen someone with a sunburn? It's painful, the skin is red, hot to the touch, and the person feels generally unwell (flu-like symptoms). The skin hurts for days and the it will blister and then peel. The blister/peel stage is extremely itchy. Wouldn't you want to avoid that if possible? Even ignoring the risk of long term harm. I prefer wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat to chemical sunblocks but that is not possible when swimming.