Some people make an excess of melanin. This is known as hyperpigmentation, and it's harmless. People who make too much melanin usually have patches of skin that become darker than the surrounding skin.
If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Pregnancy, Addison's disease, and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. If your body makes too little melanin, your skin gets lighter. Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin.
UV-A rays from the sunlight penetrate into the lower layers of the epidermis and trigger the melanocytes to produce more melanin. Melanin is produced as a defence mechanism. Sunlight is the major cause of increased melanin production. Other factors include hormonal imbalances, aging and inflammation processes.
To reduce the excessive melanin deposits in your skin, your diet needs to be rich in antioxidants. Include healthy fruits and vegetables such as oranges, berries, tangerines, papaya, limes, kiwi, guava, lemons, mangoes, grapes, spinach, carrots, beetroot, broccoli, etc. in your diet regularly.
Melanin is a skin pigment. It occurs in both humans and animals, and is what makes hair, skin, and eyes appear darker. Research has found that melanin may help protect the skin from UV rays. Increasing melanin may also help block processes in the body that lead to skin cancer.
Which foods reduce melanin? Foods like tomatoes, milk, eggs, cheese, carrots, yogurt, chia seeds, oatmeal, ginger, watermelon, kiwi, papaya, dry fruits, and lots of green leafy vegetables reduce melanin.
In humans, melanin exists as three forms: eumelanin (which is subdivided further into black and brown forms), pheomelanin, and neuromelanin.