The invention relates to the use of 4-oxo-4H-pyran or 4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives as protein-adhesive active compounds, in particular as skin- or hair-adhesive and/or skin- or hair-binding UV absorbers, and for the protection of the skin, of the hair or of the nails against damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, to specific 4-oxo-4H-pyran or 4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, to the preparation thereof and to preparations comprising same. The invention furthermore relates to the use of the structural unit 4-oxo-4H-pyran-3-O-yl or 4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridin-3-O-yl as linker for the functionalisation of protein-containing matrices.
