Melanin determines the color of the skin. Melanin levels depend on ethnicity, heredity, and the presence of sunlight. As melanin increases, the skin becomes darker or blacker, while when melanin abnormally decreases, the color becomes pale white.
Why is someone black, someone white?
Our skin contains special cells called melanocytes, which produce a pigment called melanin. This melanin determines the color of the skin. Melanin levels again depend on ethnicity, heredity, and the presence of sunlight. As the production of melanin increases, the color of the skin becomes darker or blacker, as is the case with sunburn. Some of the hormones in the body also affect this melanin.
Color change - various reasons
The most common cause of black color is sunburn. Melanocytes increase the production of melanin to protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays, causing the skin to turn black. The pale color of childhood gets burnt in the sun and gradually turns dark outside.
Dysfunction of the adrenal glands gradually leads to the blackening of the skin, folds of skin, joints and exposed areas. This is called Addison's disease. The effect of hormones during pregnancy is to darken the face and other places, it is called melasma. This can happen even if you take birth control pills. In addition, chemotherapy or minocycline drugs can cause the skin to turn black.
In cirrhosis of the liver or chronic liver disease, the skin color can be muddy. Iron builds up in the blood in a genetic complication called hemochromatosis, which severely impairs iron metabolism. In this disease, due to the accumulation of iron, the color of the body becomes like copper, along with diabetes, it is also called bronze diabetes. Due to obesity, diabetes or insulin resistance, folds of the body, such as the armpits, the skin of the neck turns dark black, this is called acanthosis nigricans. Different types of cancer can cause discoloration of the skin. Lack of thyroid hormone makes the skin look pale yellow and jaundice shows yellow.
No worries
The actual color of the skin actually determines the level of melanin in your skin, which depends on a lot of things as I said before. So trying to brighten or whiten the complexion does not really bring much benefit. However, you can use sunglasses, umbrellas and sunscreen to prevent sunburn. A doctor should be consulted if there is a sudden abnormal change in color. Otherwise, there is nothing to worry about the color of the skin.
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