Eating vitamin C–rich foods like citrus, berries, and leafy green vegetables may optimize melanin production. Taking a vitamin C supplement may help as well. Shop for vitamin C.
Ultraviolet Radiation as a Regulator of Melanogenesis
A major extrinsic regulator of melanogenesis is ultraviolet radiation (UVR), including UVA and UVB light. This is the main stimulus for melanin production, leading to induced pigmentation of the skin, or 'tanning'.
Vitamin A, C and B12 are the most needed vitamins to increase the melanin production in your hair. Add citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, pineapple, and melon to your diet. Also eat vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, etc. Non vegetarians can try adding red meat, chicken liver, fish, and eggs to their diet.
Vitamin A.
Boosting your intake of vitamin A is the number one way to restore melanin in the skin. Taking daily supplements or eating animal and plant-based foods that contain this source of nutrient can be great resources. Some animal-based foods include whole or skim milk, eggs, cheese, and beef.
Vitamin D is known to enhance the rate of melanin synthesis; and this may concurrently regulate the expression of furin expression.
Being outside is the most natural and healthy way to tan your skin, which is why you'll get the most natural results. Whether you're taking a walk, playing a sport, or having a picnic, you're still under the sun. The appropriate amount of sun exposure is the best way to increase your Vitamin D levels.
The most common active ingredient in tanning pills is a food-coloring additive called canthaxanthin. When you ingest this color additive, it purportedly releases pigment-changing compounds in your skin, and long-term use will make your skin turn darker.
A tan is never permanent because skin naturally exfoliates itself over time. This causes the tanned skin to flake off. New cells are formed and older skin sloughs off.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests vitamin C might increase melanin levels. Eating vitamin C–rich foods like citrus, berries, and leafy green vegetables may optimize melanin production. Taking a vitamin C supplement may help as well.
This condition may be caused by hormones, exposure to the sun or birth control pills. Prescription creams, laser skin resurfacing or chemical peels can help lighten the dark patches. Pigment loss following skin damage.
Vitamin C is a naturally occurring substance and an essential nutrient. It has various biological and pharmaceutical functions. It inhibits melanin synthesis through downregulation of tyrosinase enzyme activity.
People tan because sunlight causes the skin to produce more melanin and darken. The tan fades when new cells move to the surface and the tanned cells are sloughed off.
You'll get darker and prevent some skin damage. That's because skin makes the protective pigment melanin only every 48 hours, researchers report October 25 in Molecular Cell.
Vitamin C is an effective skin lightener that has been described as a melanogenesis inhibitor due to its inhibition of tyrosinase and reduction of melanin and melanin intermediates, such as dopaquinone.
It reduces the amount of melanin pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. People with albinism (albinos) have white hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. Their eyes may seem red in different lighting conditions.
In the absence of SPF, you may notice at times that your skin is easily tanned. Either tan or your skin may have turned into a funny orange or peach-ish color. It is because Vitamin C is extremely potent but it can easily react with the air, light and heat in the environment to only make your skin appear darker.
Dr. Kaufman concluded that darker skin pigmentation is associated with lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Serum vitamin D level also appears to be related to intake of vitamin D – rich foods and multivitamins containing vitamin D, but not self-reported level of sun exposure or use of sun protection.
Vitamin D synthesis is highly dependent on the concentration of melanin in the skin as melanin absorbs and scatters UVR-B, resulting in a less efficient conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3[3]. Therefore, dark-skinned individuals will experience slower vitamin D synthesis than light-skinned ones.
Pale skin can be a sign that you have a shortage of normal red blood cells (anemia), which means that less oxygen is delivered to your body. This can be from a nutritional deficiency, blood loss, or a blood cancer like leukemia. Other causes of pale skin include low blood pressure or infection.
Do lighter skin tones need less vitamin D? People with lighter skin don't need less vitamin D, but because their skin can generate vitamin D more quickly, they need less sun exposure. This means that light-skinned people should find it easier to get vitamin D from sunlight between April and September.
Sunscreen and sun exposure
When you're exposed to the sun, your skin creates even more melanin. Wearing sunscreen will limit this process. Sunscreen protects the skin from UV rays, which slow down your melanin production.
No research to date has proved that foods or supplements can increase a person's melanin levels. However, eating certain nutrients may help the skin defend itself from UV damage and skin cancer. There are also ways to give the skin a tanned appearance without damaging it with UV rays.
Circulating vitamin D concentrations differ by skin color: Individuals with darker skin produce less vitamin D with the same amount of sunlight exposure than individuals with lighter skin color [10,12].