How Does 3 Types of Melanin Work?

There are three types of melanin, and they each make your skin look different, like how paint colors change a wall.

Melanin is like tiny color pigments inside your skin cells that decide how dark or light you look.

1. Eumelanin is the main pigment, and it comes in two shades: black and brown. Think of it like the paint on a wooden toy, if you use more black paint, your skin looks darker.

1. Phaeomelanin is the reddish or yellowish pigment, and it's like the color of a banana peel. People with lots of this pigment might have fairer skin or red hair.

1. Melanocytes are the painters that make melanin. They decide how much of each color goes on your skin, like when you choose different colors to paint a picture.

So, depending on which painters (melanocytes) use which paints (types of melanin), you end up with different skin tones and hair colors!