Tanning is the process of treating animal's skin to produce leather. Tanning is performed at a tannery in the presence of tannin which is an acidic chemical compound. Tanning process involves alteration in the protein structure of the skin. Rawhide production from animal's skin does not require the use of tannin compound. Tanning can be performed by vegetable or mineral methods. Before processing the skin, it has to be cleared of hair, degreased, desalted and soaked in water for a period ranging from 6 hours to 2 days.
Tanning is also defined as the process which involves discoloration or darkening of skin because of constant exposure to UV rays. Moderate exposure to sun rays is always healthy for the body as it causes the body to produce vitamin D. However, exposure to sun rays for long can have harmful effects such as skin discoloration, sunburn or even skin cancer in some cases.
