What is Melanin? Understanding the Pigment Behind Skin Color

The color of the skin is determined by a pigment (color giver) called melanin. Melanin is found in every type of skin, whether it is fair or dark. It is present in different forms and proportions inside every person. Melanin not only provides color to the skin, but it also protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Apart from the skin, it is found in hair, eyes, ears, brain and adrenal glands.

Excessive exposure to the harmful rays of the sun causes premature signs of aging on your skin, such as wrinkles. It also increases the chances of getting many types of skin cancer. Skin cancer can be of any type, from "basal cell carcinoma" to "melanoma". Melanoma spreads faster than less active skin cancers.The side effects of the sun's UV radiation depend on the amount of melanin in your skin. The more melanin you have in your skin, the less will be the side effects of ultraviolet radiation. Along with this, people who have more melanin in their skin look younger than fair people. Apart from this, melanin reduces the damage caused to the skin by "free radicals" (harmful elements present in the body).

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There are three following types of melanin -

Eumelanin:
It is found in hair, skin and the black area around the nipple. The black and brown color of hair, skin and eyes depends on this type of melanin. Low amount of eumelanin makes the hair look golden or brown. 

Pheomelanin:
It is also found in hair and skin. This melanin provides pink and red color to the skin and hair, it is mainly found in people with red hair. Pheomelanin cannot protect you from cancer caused by harmful UV rays of the sun. 

Neuromelanin:
This is a form of melanin found in various areas of the brain and the lack of this melanin can cause many neurological disorders.

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To understand why people have different skin colors, it's important to understand the basic science behind it. There is no such thing as "white", "red", "black", or "yellow" when it comes to skin color. Skin color is made up of many shades, depending on your genetics. For example, people with dark skin have the most melanin of all the types of melanin, while people with pale skin have the most pheomelanin. Skin color depends on the size and number of melanin molecules. Melanin is made by melanocytes and functions differently in each person. Some individuals naturally produce less melanin, which makes their skin lighter. Additionally, people with fewer melanocytes than normal have lighter skin.

Melanocytes present in clusters in white people are responsible for "freckles" (tiny brown spots on the skin), while the area without freckles is much lighter in color. Sunburn (sunburn) can temporarily change the color of your skin. Sunburn affects the production of melanin and is caused by UV rays.

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Melanin is a natural pigment responsible for the color of the skin, hair, and eyes. It is not only important from an aesthetic point of view, but also provides many health benefits. The main role of melanin is to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. This pigment absorbs UV rays and prevents damage to skin cells, thereby reducing the risk of skin cancer. Apart from this, melanin also protects the retina of the eye from damage caused by UV rays. Due to the high amount of melanin, the skin color becomes darker, which reduces the effect of sun rays and the health of the skin remains better.