A recent result published in the prestigious PNAS journal http://www.pnas.org/
The ability to get tanned in the summer helps your body in protecting your skin from melanoma/skincancer and the body's ability to go back to its original colour helps it produce vitamin D which helps cell division and repair of skin....
So all those people who get tanned frequently... know that it denotes your immunity and hence longevity... Be proud of your tanned skin :P