Melanin ProductionWhat is melanin? It is a pigment that colors our skin, eyes and hair, and helps protect us from the sun. It can also help regulate heat absorption from the sun, which is especially important, for example, for cold-blooded animals who do not self regulate their body temperatures. How is it made? Melanocytes, specialized cells that carry out its production manufacture pigment. Melanocytes manufacture it by following the DNA instructions to construct enzymes along with the amino acid tyrosine. Melanin has two different types: eumelanin, which is brown or black, and pheomelanin, which is red or yellow. These produce the different colors we have in our skins, and they are produced in different amounts. Melanin's basic function is to protect us from the sun. As the sun beats down on us, our skins are busy producing pigment, which covers the skin's cells like an umbrella to protect it from the sun, and in fact protects the DNA from damage. What happens when there's not enough melanin production? When there's not enough pigment production, the skin basically loses its color and its sun protection as well. In some cases, and the lack of pigment may be complete, as with an albino person, or the lack of pigment may result in cells slowly shutting off over time, resulting in a skin condition called vitiligo, whereby melanin in the skin simply disappears slowly over time; this results in patches of color on the skin, and in severe cases can result in a complete stripping of color from the skin. It's not quite known why vitiligo happens, but it is supposed to be autoimmune in nature, whereby the body simply stops producing melanocytes for whatever reason. Is it just about color? In fact, people who suffer from vitiligo or albinism, as two examples of what can happen with "not enough" pigment production, don't suffer serious health consequences in general just from the loss of pigment itself. However, there is a markedly increased risk of skin cancer as an indirect result, because protective pigment is stripped away from the skin; pigment, of course, helps protect the cells' DNA from damage which can lead to skin cancer. And of course, it can simply be embarrassing to those who suffer from vitiligo or albinism to not have the proper "coloring," as it were. Albinos, it should be noted, however, also often have trouble with their eyesight. That's because they have trouble with seeing lights as "overly bright," and they may also have trouble with focusing. Scattered light cannot be absorbed as well by those who suffer from albinism, so it's much more difficult for them to see. Prescription and protective eyewear can certainly help. Sun exposure should be kept to a minimum, since even with sunscreen, people who suffer from albinism and vitiligo, both, are at greatly increased risk for skin cancer. A note about sunscreen even for those with normal melanin production Even if you don't have albinism or vitiligo, it should be noted that you still need sunscreen. It's been shown that exposure to
UVA and UVB rays
is extremely damaging to the skin, even if you have adequate pigment production and can tan normally. Therefore, don't let your "normal" skin color stop you from wearing sunscreen.
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