What is Melanin? why is my skin getting darker? and How can I get Lighter Skin?

How can I get lighter skin? A question we are often asked.

It is said that our skin is the mirror of our inner body. If our body functions well internally, then our skin will look radiant and remain healthy, likewise if the body is not functioning well internally, it will be reflected in the skin.

Internal and external factors can cause the skin to become spotted and loses its moisture and its radiant appearance. To understand why, it is necessary to understand some basic things about skin color and what causes it to change.

There are three main factors which contribute, one way or another, to the actual color of your skin. The first one is melanin, the substance which causes the skin to turn darker in response to sunlight. The second is the carotene which is responsible for the yellowish tint and last, but not least, are the blood vessels which give the skin that pink nuance.

Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes in the skin and it is triggered by the enzyme responsible for coloring the hair, the eyes and the skin. This enzyme is called tyrosinase. The greater the production of melanin is the darker the skin color will be.

In addition to influencing the color of the skin, melanin also plays the role of absorbing solar rays and protecting the body from the invasive effects of ultraviolet rays.

For effective protection, the amount of melanin increases when the skin is exposed to sun. When melanin is no longer capable of absorbing the solar rays, sunburn occurs.

Mild sunburns usually do not have any long term effects on the skin, as the damaged layers of skin are regenerated and new and healthy skin replaces the damaged ones. Yet, severe sunburns may result in scars and most often in dark patches of skin and brown spots which may remain on your skin your entire life.

Melanin is present in larger quantities in people with dark skin and in lesser quantities in people with light skin. Thus, those people having light skin are more prone to sun burns and dark spots caused by the sun than those with dark skin.

Hormonal imbalances, external factors, such as pollution, wounds and rashes can also increase the amount of melanin in certain portions of the skin, making it darker.

If you want to know more about melanin and about the factors which affect your skin color CLICK HERE for more information. You will learn all you need to know about your skin as well as great techniques which can whiten your skin in a natural and effective way, without any side effects.