Melanin acts as a protective mechanism which absorbs harmful ultraviolent rays and prevents the production of free radicals and the oxidation of folic acid. Thus, melanin protects the DNA of the cells against damage and the development of melanoma. Two types of melanin are known – a brown-black pigment (eumelanin) and red-brown (pheomelanin). The proportion of these pigments in the skin is then determined by the phototype of the skin.