About Melanin
Also called a pigment, melanin is a substance that gives the skin and hair its natural colour. It also gives colour to the iris. Those with darker skin have higher amounts of melanin. By contrast, those with less pigment have lighter or more fair skin colouring.
Melanin, sometimes referred to as a chemical, is formed as part of the process of metabolizing an amino acid called tyrosine. In the skin, melanin is formed by cells called melanocytes. Certain medical conditions, such as albinism, are associated with the lack of melanin. Albinism is a condition marked by the absence of a normal amount of pigment in the body. Animals, humans, and even plants can have albinism.
Albinism exists in a number of variations. Depending on the type of albinism, the skin, hair, and eyes may all be affected. In fact, ocular albinism affects not only the colour of the eyes, hair, and skin, but also results in poor vision. Additionally, some types of melanin deficiency are associated with increased mortality rates.
Melanin provides many benefits to human beings. One of the most recognized benefits involves ultraviolet rays from the sun. Melanin provides a natural protection against the harmful effects of these rays. However, it does not provide complete protection from the sun, and individuals with darker skin tones are still at risk from the sun’s damaging rays. It is therefore advised to use suncream in conjunction witht this product.
The melanin in the skin is produced by melanocytes, which are found in the basal layer of the epidermis. Although in general, human’s possess a similar concentration of melanocytes in their skin, the melanocytes in some individuals and ethnic groups more frequently or less frequently express the melanin-producing genes, thereby conferring a greater or lesser concentration of skin melanin.