Re: Is melanin the only chemical to do with hair and skin?

Is melanin the only chemical to do with hair and skin?

Melanin is the primary pigment (coloring) chemical in the skin. Because you
specifically mention melanin, I am assuming that you are asking about
pigments, rather than then the chemical ingredients of skin. Skin is
contains many chemical ingredients and if you are really interested in that
topic, I suggest you ask your question again.

But, on to skin pigments. Melanin is a chemical produced by a specific type
of cell in the skin, known as a melanocyte.  In general, all people have
the same number of melanocytes in their skin. What differs is the amount of
melanin that is produced. People with darker skin have more melanin than do
people with lighter skin. 

There are actually two types of melanin, and we all have both types
although in different proportions. The most common type of melanin is
called eumelanin. This pigment is brown, and gives the different brown
shades of skin that are commonly seen. Another type of melanin is
pheomelanin. This pigment is red, and is responsible for red hair. 

Those are the most common pigments, but there are others. Hemoglobin,
normally associated with red blood cells, can also act as a skin pigment.
When you blush, you skin turns red from hemoglobin. Bilirubin is a yellow
pigment produced by the liver. When people are sick with jaundice, the
yellowish tint to their skin is due to too much bilirubin. Carotene, an
orange pigment most commonly associated with carrots, will also lend a tint
to skin. People that eat a lot of carrots can develop and orange tinge to
their skin.

All of these pigments are always present in the skin. Evidence of their
presence is found in the different colors associated with a bruise.
Although melanin is the primary skin pigment, human skin color is a complex
mix of many different pigments.