Melanin is the natural color (or pigment) your body makes. It gives color to your skin, hair, and eyes, and it also protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. The more melanin you have, the darker your skin, hair, and eyes will be. If you have less melanin, your skin and features will be lighter. Some people and animals — like albino kangaroos — have little or no melanin at all, which makes their fur or skin white and their eyes pink or red, and it makes them very sensitive to sunlight.

Melanin is made in your skin by special cells called melanocytes. These cells use a chemical called tyrosine, and with the help of an enzyme called tyrosinase, they turn tyrosine into melanin. The melanin then spreads into nearby skin cells and gives them their color. Everyone has the same number of melanocytes, but some people’s melanocytes make more melanin, which is why people have different skin tones.

One of the most important jobs of melanin is to protect your skin from the sun. The sun gives off strong invisible rays called UV (ultraviolet) rays. Too much UV can burn your skin, damage your DNA, and increase the chance of skin cancer. Melanin acts like a natural sunscreen by absorbing UV rays and stopping them from reaching and harming deeper parts of your skin. People with more melanin are naturally better protected from sunburn and some skin problems.

However, having a lot of melanin can have a few small disadvantages. For example, melanin also blocks some UV rays that help your body make vitamin D, which is important for strong bones and health. So people with very dark skin might not make enough vitamin D if they don’t get enough sunlight and might need to get it from food or vitamins. Also, certain skin problems, like rashes or scars, can be harder to see on darker skin, and dark skin can sometimes develop spots or patches where too much melanin builds up — this is called hyperpigmentation.

On the other side, people or animals with very little melanin, like those with albinism, don’t have natural protection from the sun. Their skin can burn quickly, they are more likely to get skin damage, and their eyes are often more sensitive to light.

So, which is better: more melanin or less? There is no “better” — it depends on your environment. If you live in a place with a lot of strong sunlight, having more melanin is useful for protection. If you live in a cloudy or cold place, having less melanin helps your body make more vitamin D. Your body’s melanin level is usually just right for where your ancestors came from, and that’s why people from around the world have different skin colors that fit different climates.

So, next time someone makes fun of your skin tone remember, your dark or light skin colour is just for your own good.