Ultraviolet light causes skin to become darker through the production of melanin. Melanin is a pigment that is produced by cells in the skin called melanocytes. As the American Academy of Dermatology explains, the purpose of melanin is to protect...
The skin is made up of a number of specialized cells, including melanocytes---the pigment-producing cells that provide the skin's natural color. Malignant melanoma is an advanced cancer that originates in melanocytes and then spreads to the lymph...
Melanomas are derived from melanocytes, cells within the skin that are responsible for making the protein melanin, the main pigment within the skin. Melanoma develops when the melanocytes develop genetic mutations which cause them to grow...
The skin is made up of three layers: the epidermis, dermis and fat layer, also known as the subcutaneous layer. All layers combined protect the body's muscles, nerves, internal organs and blood vessels. Each layer of skin performs a specific task....
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...
A mole is a skin lesion known medically as a melanocytic nevus, meaning that a mole is composed of melanocytes. Melanocytes are a type of skin cell that produces melanin, a dark skin pigment. Moles are generally very dark and benign, although a...
The colored part of the eye is called the iris. The color of your iris is determined by the genetic material inherited from your parents. Most people's eye color remains constant after the age of 3. Eye discoloration can, however, occur later in...
Liver spots--also called age spots or solar lentigines--are brown, irregular patches on the skin. They are most common on sun-exposed areas, including the shoulders, back, arms, forehead, cheeks, nose and the backs of the hands. Age spots range...
Your skin is composed of many layers. The top layer, or epidermis, contains all the resultant pigments and markings of the inner layers. The second layer, or dermis, contains the sebaceous glands for oil production, hair follicles and melanocytes...
Ultraviolet light is sometimes referred to as ultraviolet radiation. It comes from wavelengths of light that are produced by the sun and other light sources but which are invisible to the human eye. This wavelength of light is able to penetrate...
Liver hemangioma is a benign mass of enlarged and actively dividing blood vessels. Liver hemangioma is asymptomatic in most individuals, but it may cause bleeding and disruption of liver function depending on the size and location of the tumor....
Premature graying is common for many people, especially Caucasians, and can occur at any point in a person's life. The uncommon occurrence of gray hair in children is called canities and is often the result of a genetic inheritance. However, there...
Moles are a common skin blemish that occurs when groups of melanocytes form too close together beneath the surface of the skin. Melanocytes are cells responsible for producing melanin, the substance that gives your skin pigment (color). When these...
The color of your skin is created by small pigments of a substance called melanin. Within your skin are cells called melanocytes. These cells produce melanin and evenly distribute it in your skin. The more melanin present, the darker your skin...
The onset of gray hair could come sooner than some people would hope. Experiencing gray hair is an inevitable fact of life that all of us will experience as some point or another. However, graying hair is not always a factor of age. Some people...
The color of the skin is due to the presence of a protein known as melanin. Melanin is made by cells known as melanocytes, which are present in the deeper layers of the skin. In some cases, an injury to the skin can cause patches of abnormally...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) reports that most people have at least 10 moles, and some persons have as many as 40. Moles are usually circular or oval in shape and may be either flush with the skin or raised above the surrounding skin...
Vitiligo refers to a skin condition of depigmentation. According to the Mayo Clinic, melanocytes (cells responsible for your color) die and you can lose the color in your skin, eyes and hair. White patches begin to form on your skin and the...
Moles can be cancerous or benign. Most moles appear in the first 20 years of life, though some may develop in later years. It is not uncommon for an adult to have between 10 and 40 moles, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute....
Moles develop as a result of melanocytes clustering together within the skin, explains the National Institutes of Health. Melanocytes are cells at the base of your epidermis that produce melanin, the compound responsible for pigmentation. The only...
Pediatrics is seasonal, and summer is the season for check-ups and rashes which include areas of hyperpigmentation, unusual blotches of skin that tan darker than the surrounding skin. These areas typically appear on the face, arms or legs and have...
Vitamin A, a family of related molecules including retinoids and retinol, plays an important role in your health. Several cells throughout your body can respond to circulating vitamin A molecules, and these chemicals help to guide cell...
The body's largest organ is the skin, weighing about 6 lbs., according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It is essential in safeguarding the body from external deterrents that can damage internal organs. It acts to maintain body...
Pigmentation is a term that describes an object's coloring. When used in regard to people, it typically refers to the color of an individual's skin. Your particular skin pigmentation results from the combined effects of your genetic heritage and...
Age spots, also commonly referred to as liver spots or solar lentigines, are a common skin problem that typically appears more with age. Age spots consist of darkened spots of your skin, especially on areas of your body that are more commonly...
The three most common types of skin cancer stem from basal cells, squamous cells and melanocytes, all of which are located in the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. According to 2009 data released from the American Cancer Society, there...
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....
Kojic acid is derived from a variety of fungi and organic substances and is present in skin-whitening creams used to diminish dark areas resulting from excessive pigmentation in the skin. You can buy raw kojic acid but this substance may cause...
The most common cause of dark spots on the skin is from overexposure to the UV rays from the sun. Your skin tries to protect your body from the harmful UV rays by creating skin cells called melanocytes. The melanocytes create a dark brown pigment...
Intraocular melanoma is a form of eye cancer that can be very deadly. Get expert tips and advice on preventing and treating eye cancer in this video.
