For those who like to go in for skin tans but are scared of using sunbeds due to skin cancer concerns, here’s some interesting news --- Manchester University scientists have developed a small implant that can be placed under the skin to give a three-month tan – that too, sans the use of sunbeds!

According to reports, the implant, called Clinuvel, is barely the size of a grain of rice, and is placed under the skin for stimulating the production of melanin – the naturally-occurring pigment that controls the colour of the skin as well as the extent of UV radiation it absorbs.

The implant will not only make the skin would darker, so that it can appear like a healthy bronzed tan, but can also act as an effective sunblock against the damaging UV rays of the Sun.

Despite the fact that the implant was originally developed by medics as a means for alleviating skin conditions, experts now feel that the chip can also be taken up by the beauty industry.

Noting that the implant may become an alternative method of skin tanning, especially in the wake of increasing number of skin cancer cases linked to sunbeds, Lesley Rhodes - professor of experimental dermatology at Manchester University – told the Times that the implant potentially offers “an alternative to commercial sunscreens and there are lots of senior scientists who are convinced it's safe”!