Increase Melanin
Easy Steps to Increase Melanin
To create color or pigmentation of the skin, as well as hair, the body uses melanins but sometimes, people do not produce or have enough, which is why they want to learn to increase melanin. These compounds not only determine our hair and skin color but they also work to protect the skin and body from sunlight. Interestingly, even fur on animals and feathers on birds are based on production and transfer of melanin.
These unique cells are formally known as melanocytes, which are located within the skin and hair follicles and once synthesized, they are moved to nearby keratinocytes, which is the greatest type of cell in the skin. The rate of which the synthesis occurs and the following transfer is actually affected by exposure to sunlight or any type of ultraviolet rays.
Since many light-skinned people want darker skin, they will use tanning beds or spend time soaking up the sun as a way to increase melanin. People in today’s society believe that a good tan makes them appear better and healthier. Unfortunately, numerous studies have been performed showing that trying to increase melanin in these manners increases risk of skin cancer long-term, not to mention sunburn short-term.
Studies also show that people that want to increase melanin using a tanning bed, sunlamp, or the natural sun age prematurely, which is seen in the form of blotchy skin and wrinkles much earlier in life than people not trying to increase melanin. However, in people that have certain conditions called piebaldism, albinism, vitiligo, and various other hypo-pigmentation disorders, getting darker is either difficult or impossible.
When looking at albinism, also known as an albino, loss of pigmentation of the skin and hair is severe. In these cases, people actually appear scary with white hair, eyebrows, and extremely white skin. Any time in the sun, whether trying to increase melanin or not could lead to some very horrific problems such as blistering. Therefore, in some cases, being in the sun or using a tanning bed or sunlamp should be avoided at all costs.
The process to increase melanin synthesis, which in turn creates darker skin pigmentation, can be done but it also comes with potential risk. In addition to tanning, people will even try to increase melanin as a means of producing darker hair color. For instance, someone with white hair that would rather have gray hair may try methods to change production and transfer rate of melanin.
The bottom line is that to increase melanin to induce synthesis in melanocytes also increases the amount of pigmentation. Chances are people will continue spending time in the sun or using tanning beds and sunlamps to achieve darker skin but some cosmetic companies have come out with lotions, creams, and sprays that produce artificial color.
These products are a better alternative but most leave the skin with an orange hue and if not applied exact, they also lead to blotchiness. Therefore, to prevent risk of skin cancer and premature aging completely, people should stop trying to increase melanin and simply be satisfied with the skin or hair they were born with, seeing themselves as beautiful.