The pigment melanin is the short answer.
For a more detailed explanation, read on.
Deep beneath the skin's surface in the layer known as the stratum basal, the melanocytes are found.
The stratum basal is also the location of the skin's stem cells.
The skin is one of the organs of the body that naturally rejuvenates throughout a person's life.
Old cells are sloughed off and new ones are produced by the stem or mother cells.
The melanocytes are specialized cells that produce the hormone melanin, which in humans serves as a pigment.
It is the primary determinant of a person's skin color.
It is found in the hair, the iris, the adrenal glands and portions of the inner ear.
When the melanocytes produce melanin, the new daughter cells become infused with it.
They gradually make their way to through the epidermis.
The cells are primarily composed of the protein keratin.
They are not actually living cells.
Their primary purpose is to provide protection for the body.
Melanin helps to protect the deeper tissues of the body from sun damage.
Sun exposure (as well as other things) stimulates the melanocytes and melanin is produced.
Pigmentation Factor When it comes to what causes dark toned skin, genetics is the primary factor.
Except in the case of albinos, all humans have some degree of pigmentation.
Sun exposure can cause the skin to become darker and sun damage can cause uneven pigmentation, but everyone has some color to their skin.
There are many types of melanin.
The two that are most abundant in human hair and skin are eumelanin and pheomelanin.
Melanin Types There are two types of eumelanin; black and brown.
Pheomelanin causes a pink or reddish hue in the skin.
It is found in both light skinned and dark skinned people, but is more abundant in redheads.
Under the microscope, all melanins appear brown.
People whose ancestors lived in equatorial regions have more eumelanin in their skin.
Thus their skin tone is black or dark brown.
They are more resistant to sunburn and have lower instances of cancerous melanoma.
Melanoma - Skin Cancer Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer.
It occurs when free radicals cause mutations in the melanocytes.
It is more common in fair-skinned people.
As people gradually migrated away from the equatorial regions, their skin became lighter for a couple of reasons.
They needed less protection from damaging UV rays and they needed more vitamin D.
High levels of melanins within the skin inhibit the body's production of vitamin D.
When Africans visited the UK during the industrial revolution, they developed symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, because the sunlight was insufficient to penetrate through the melanin.
Sun Exposure Today, sun exposure is the most common cause of a darkened, tanned or uneven skin tone.
Yet, many people do not get enough sunlight to meet their body's needs for vitamin D.
So, it is something of a catch 22 situation.
Now that you know what causes dark toned skin, you may be interested in how to lighten, keep it lightened and still get enough sunlight to meet your needs for vitamin D.
You can learn about that in my next article.
Now that we know What Causes Dark Toned Skin, we can learn how to lighten it safely.
You can learn about those safe solutions in the next article, How To How To Lighten Skin.
See Resource/Author Box Below.
For a more detailed explanation, read on.
Deep beneath the skin's surface in the layer known as the stratum basal, the melanocytes are found.
The stratum basal is also the location of the skin's stem cells.
The skin is one of the organs of the body that naturally rejuvenates throughout a person's life.
Old cells are sloughed off and new ones are produced by the stem or mother cells.
The melanocytes are specialized cells that produce the hormone melanin, which in humans serves as a pigment.
It is the primary determinant of a person's skin color.
It is found in the hair, the iris, the adrenal glands and portions of the inner ear.
When the melanocytes produce melanin, the new daughter cells become infused with it.
They gradually make their way to through the epidermis.
The cells are primarily composed of the protein keratin.
They are not actually living cells.
Their primary purpose is to provide protection for the body.
Melanin helps to protect the deeper tissues of the body from sun damage.
Sun exposure (as well as other things) stimulates the melanocytes and melanin is produced.
Pigmentation Factor When it comes to what causes dark toned skin, genetics is the primary factor.
Except in the case of albinos, all humans have some degree of pigmentation.
Sun exposure can cause the skin to become darker and sun damage can cause uneven pigmentation, but everyone has some color to their skin.
There are many types of melanin.
The two that are most abundant in human hair and skin are eumelanin and pheomelanin.
Melanin Types There are two types of eumelanin; black and brown.
Pheomelanin causes a pink or reddish hue in the skin.
It is found in both light skinned and dark skinned people, but is more abundant in redheads.
Under the microscope, all melanins appear brown.
People whose ancestors lived in equatorial regions have more eumelanin in their skin.
Thus their skin tone is black or dark brown.
They are more resistant to sunburn and have lower instances of cancerous melanoma.
Melanoma - Skin Cancer Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer.
It occurs when free radicals cause mutations in the melanocytes.
It is more common in fair-skinned people.
As people gradually migrated away from the equatorial regions, their skin became lighter for a couple of reasons.
They needed less protection from damaging UV rays and they needed more vitamin D.
High levels of melanins within the skin inhibit the body's production of vitamin D.
When Africans visited the UK during the industrial revolution, they developed symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, because the sunlight was insufficient to penetrate through the melanin.
Sun Exposure Today, sun exposure is the most common cause of a darkened, tanned or uneven skin tone.
Yet, many people do not get enough sunlight to meet their body's needs for vitamin D.
So, it is something of a catch 22 situation.
Now that you know what causes dark toned skin, you may be interested in how to lighten, keep it lightened and still get enough sunlight to meet your needs for vitamin D.
You can learn about that in my next article.
Now that we know What Causes Dark Toned Skin, we can learn how to lighten it safely.
You can learn about those safe solutions in the next article, How To How To Lighten Skin.
See Resource/Author Box Below.