With one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, and a UV protection message that has been drilled into children for three decades, Australians are well versed in the dangers of too much sun.

But now, researchers are unravelling even more about melanoma risk by examining the role of our genes.

An Australian study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, suggests that for people with genes that predispose them to melanoma, modest exposure to sunlight ­during childhood is all that is required for them to have a high risk of developing the malignancy.

Whereas for those with a low genetic propensity, it is more likely to take a lifetime of UV radiation exposure before melanoma develops.