Skin Color

What Determines Skin Color?
Skin color is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. Melanin is a pigment produced by specialized cells called melanocytes. People with dark skin have more of a different type of melanin, called heteromelanin. To fully understand this we must first look at the molecular changes that take place during melanin formation. How much melanin your skin has is mainly a matter of your genetic makeup. Sunlight exposure, hormones, skin damage, and exposure to certain chemicals can also affect melanin production.

Melanocytes
Small changes in skin color will often fade on its own. For instance, tans fade when the amount of direct exposure to sunlight is reduced. However, persistent and repeated sun exposure causes hyperactivity melanin producing cells and this results in a Perma-tan. Certain discolorations, such as "age" spots or "liver" spots, are also more or less permanent overtime.

When the sun hits our skin it activates a process called Melanin formation. Melanin is the pigment in our skin which gives it color. The more melanin present, the darker your skin color. Melanocytes are present in the epidermis of the skin where they produce small bundles of pigment proteins. These proteins are eventually deposited on the surface of the skin in the Keratinized layer. The amount of melanocytes vary from individual to individual independent of race.