Melanin is the pigment produced by cells called melanocytes to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays and therefore prevent sunburn, says the NHS Choices website for England's National Health Service. This pigment is what gives your skin and hair...
Your hair color exists because of the presence of melanin, a pigment produced by the amino acid tyrosine. Your body usually can derive tyrosine from another amino acid called phenylalanine, but if you lack the latter, you must obtain tyrosine from...
You get age spots when you expose your skin to UV rays of light from the sun for too long over a period of time. Age spots usually happen to people over the age of 50, when the amount of melanin, a pigment which causes your skin to darken,...
Age spots are typically a reaction to sun damage on your skin. As you age, melanin, the pigment that protects your skin form sun damage, can become clumped together to form spots, says MayoClinic.com. While sunscreen and protection is the best way...
Dark spots are common on the skin; however, their commonality doesn't make them any easier to deal with. In fact, dark spots located anywhere on your body can make you want to cover up. Dark spots, or age spots, as they're sometimes called, result...
The color of your skin is determined by the amount of melanin -- a pigment which is made by special skin cells called melanocytes -- in your skin. Some people have naturally darker skin. In other instances, environmental factors such as exposure...
Natural hair color is hereditary, meaning that it is a genetic trait passed down from parents. Hair dyes can change the color of hair. New hair growth turns gray or white as people age.
Your skin is generally the same color over your entire body, with little variation from one section to another. However, some areas may develop a darker pigment than others, a condition referred to as hyperpigmentation. These areas can be isolated...
Typically the human skin remains a similar color pigment across most of the entire body. However, it is common for brown spots to appear on the skin due to triggers ranging from age to spending too much time in the sun. Although many of these...
A mole is a skin lesion that primarily consists of nevus cells. This type of skin cell has a high concentration of melanin, the pigment that gives moles their dark color. You may refer to a mole more specifically as a hanging mole or skin tag if...
L-tyrosine is a chemical building block called an amino acid. Amino acids form the molecular foundation of proteins, a class of molecules upon which all life depends. Amino acids, however, also have their own individual and unique functions....
Brown spots are usually caused by overexposure to the sun, while freckles are usually genetic. The ultraviolet rays from the sun cause the melanin pigment in your body to produce more layers of pigment on top of the skin. Protecting yourself from...
Affecting men, women, and children alike, dark circles under the eyes are usually a harmless sign of lack of sleep or dehydration. Dark circles are more common in those with thinner tissue around the eye as thin skin makes the capillaries under...
Graying hair increases with age as the production of melanin pigment decreases. Although scientific evidence is lacking, practicing a healthy lifestyle may be a natural, free way to help prevent the early onset of gray hair. According to...
Moles are a result of an accumulation of melanin (pigment) on one area of the skin. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, "the typical life cycle of the common mole takes about 50 years," meaning your mole will eventually disappear if...
Almost anybody can get freckles, but they occur more often on those with fair skin. There are many causes of freckles, the most common being genetics and exposure to the sun. Freckles are usually harmless and are more a cosmetic concern than a...
Although some babies are born with the eye color they will have for life, others experience pigment changes. As your baby's eye color becomes clearer, so does her vision and ability to see colors and detail.
Gray hair is just another unwelcome part of aging. The Everyday Mysteries website reports that your chance of going gray increases by 10 to 20 percent every decade after you turn 30. Although there are some medical conditions that cause gray hair,...
Gray hair is the result of a decrease in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives your hair its color. Gray hair can be caused by heredity, age and poor diet. In addition, hair care choices such as styling tools and products and washing...
Vitamins are critical for your body to work properly. Most vitamins, including vitamin D, have a variety of different roles in the human body, and can affect the levels of minerals and other substances in the blood. Although there is a...
Hyperpigmentation, or melasma, refers to dark areas and brown spots on the skin. According to the Beverly Hills Dermatology website, hyperpigmentation is caused by the excess production of melanin, the pigment produced by the body which determines...
An unusual darkening of your skin can have several possible causes. Sun exposure, of course, is the most common such cause, but if you are certain that simple tanning is not responsible for your skin changes, you should take the precaution of...
The epidermis is the outer layer of the skin that contain cells called melanocytes. These cells are responsible for creating melanin, a pigment that determines skin color. Melanin also helps protect the skin from ultra violet rays from the sun...
Younger people--those still in their 20s and 30s--can start getting gray hair, and the reasons for this phenomenon range from heredity to environmental causes to vitamin deficiency. You want to keep looking youthful, or at least your true age, and...
Dark spots on the skin have several other names used interchangeably, including age spots, sun spots and liver spots. These spots occur when the melanin pigment in your skin accumulates in high concentrations in the skin. In most cases, dark spots...
Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, which are building blocks for protein that you must get from dietary sources. L-phenylalanine is found in most foods that contain protein. Your body needs adequate amounts of phenylalanine in order to...
Most eyes are blue, green or brown in color. Infants are born with blue or dark eyes but the color may change until children are about 9 months old, or sometimes up until a child reaches the age of 3. After that, eye color change may be caused by...
Vitiligo is a skin disorder that causes the skin to lose melanin, the pigment that determines skin color. This results in patches of skin that are lighter than the rest of the skin. Although vitiligo has no cure, the symptoms may be controlled by...
Bronzer tanning bed lotions are used to enhance a tan by making the skin appear darker or tan faster. These types of lotions also are known as tanning accelerators. After it's applied, the lotion reacts with the skin to increase the body's...
