Melanin Supplements Part1

This first article will explore what is Melanin and what role does it play in the human body as well as how it affects our skin

Part 2 of this article will go into melanin treatments for skin disorders and possibly anti-aging treatments

What Is Melanin?

Melanin is the substance that is responsible for skin color, eye color, and hair color. Melanin is not exclusive to human beings. In the animal world, it is responsible for the color feathers and scales. In humans, the higher the level of melanin, the darker the skin color. Fair skinned people are likely to have far lower levels of melanin. One of the principle reasons people use melanin supplements is for helping obtain a deeper and richer tan.

Melanin occurs naturally by means of metabolizing the amino acid, tyrosine. Melanin cells in the skin are known as melanocytes. Melanin deficiency is the cause of several conditions including albinism. Albinism is also found in animals and plants.

Although it provides many benefits to the body, it is most commonly known to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. This natural substance will not only fight the premature aging of the skin, but provides many benefits in the prevention of skin cancer.

It’s important to recognize that melanin by itself, and even the addition of melanin supplements, cannot provide complete protection from the damaging effects of the sun. Regardless of the amount of naturally occurring melanin in the skin, additional steps must be taken for the highest levels of protection.

African American skin has larger melanosomes (cells that determine skin color) and the melanosomes contain more of the pigment melanin than those found in white skin. Because of the protective effect of melanin, African-Americans are better protected against skin cancer and premature wrinkling from sun exposure.

It is well known that melanin in brown skin provides protection from the ravages of aging due to ultraviolet light (UVL). In fact, the melanin in African American skin provides a natural sun protection factor (SPF) of about 13.4 as compared to 3.4 for white skin. This natural protection from the sun means less damage to the skin and fewer signs of aging. Therefore, melanin in the skin of African Americans accounts for the fact that they often appear younger than Caucasians of the same age. In addition, the changes that do occur as African American skin ages are often delayed so they occur at a later age as compared to whites. As would be expected, photoaging in African Americans is more pronounced in individuals with lighter skin hues. When aging changes do occur, most prominent are changes in the texture of the skin (roughness), the appearance of benign growths (dermatosis papulosa nigra), pigmentation changes (dark marks or discolorations) and a loss of the volume of the skin (sagging).

Source(s):
http://www.skinsosilky.com/african-ameri…
http://www.brownskin.net/ageless_black.h…

How to Choose a Good Dermatologist

   Dermatologists are divided into two schools. One school does general medical dermatology, treating problems like: skin conditions, rashes, hair loss and cancers. A subspecialty of this is dermatologic surgery. If you’re going to have cancers removed or other surgery related to the skin, it's worth seeking out a board-certified dermatologic surgeon because they’re trained for that kind of surgery.

The other school focuses on cosmetic practice, which has looser regulations and requirements. There is no subspecialty of cosmetic dermatology, and it’s very tough to ascertain the training of a doctor in cosmetic practice. There are doctors trained in other specialties who are going into cosmetic, office-based practices simply because they have a medical license and it’s legal for them to do this even if they haven’t been trained in cosmetic procedures. So there is a wide range of expertise and experience among those who open cosmetic dermatology practices. Here's how to ensure you've found the best dermatologist, no matter what your needs:

· Look for board certification in dermatology or plastic and reconstructive surgery if you’re seeking cosmetic treatment. Wherever the doctor was trained, if they’re board certified, you know they've completed an approved residency program and met a minimal level of competence. That information can be found through the American Board of Medical Specialties or from sites like Vitals.com.

· Ask what training they’ve had above board certification. Were they trained in cosmetic practice in medical school, a teaching hospital or at a weekend seminar somewhere? It's a good sign if the doctor has a hospital appointment that allows him or her to do cosmetic procedures there. Most hospitals are cautious about granting privileges to do a procedure unless a doctor is trained in it; so, in that way, the hospital does the screening for you. If the dermatologist doesn’t have a hospital appointment, it may call into question their qualifications.

· Reputation is awfully important for any kind of cosmetic practice, so it doesn't hurt to ask around for referrals from friends and colleagues--especially those who've had the procedure you're considering.

· See what the dermatologist says about themselves on their website; many dermatologists offer more information about their backgrounds, expertise, and practice online.

A couple of other ways is to ask your primary care doctor may be able to refer you to one
or you can look at the American Academy of Dermatology web site.

 

The Best Lifestyle Book For Healthy Skin

Diagram from Blue Zones showing similarities across cultures

There are many books out there that try to fix the immediate problem of aging and being healthy with topical fixes like cosmetic surgery, potions and lotions. What you really need to do is start with a healthy lifestyle as a foundation for everything you do in life. You will not only look better but feel better as well.

I can tell you of the program i started adopting 1 1/2 years ago. The recommendations are from the Blue Zones by Dan buettner.

Dan buetter's book tracks areas around the world he calls blue zones that have a much higher than average number of centenarians or people that live over 100. what he found is that there are a number of similarities between these various cultures spread around the world. there are similar habits in exercises amounts and foods that are eaten as well as other social habits.

Some actionable notes that I took from the book are below
30-60MINUTES OF EXERCISES A DAY FOR 5 DAYS A WEEK-LOTS OF NON STRESS FULL WALKING

HAVE LOTS OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS-JOIN GROUPS LIKE MINDED TO YOU maybe online

DO SOMETHING WORTH WILE OR INTERESTING WITH YOUR LIFE.  BE USEFUL TO COMMUNITY

GET A SENSE OF FULFILLMENT

FIND YOUR DREAM HOME PLACE AND WORK TOWARDS IT

TAKE CARE OF SENIORS IN FAMILY

WHEN YOU GET STRESSED START LAUGHING TO REDUCE IT

APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY AROUND YOU IN YOUR SURROUNDINGS

DRINK 1- GLASSES OF RED WINE

EAT UNTIL YOU ARE 80% FULL-SLOWS METABOLISM

MAKE LIST OF PROBLEMS YOURSELF AND FRIENDS. IF TOO MUCH TO YOURSELF

EAT LOTS OF VEGES AND LITTLE MEAT S

Speaking your mind relieves stress

having a garden gets you exercise
try to focus on the moment rather than the future or past

lots of whole grain breads,cereals,pastas
little coffee.tea,alcohol
some low fat dairy
some use of nuts and legumes
lacto-ovo-vegetrian diet
pay attention to b12,vita d calcium,iron,zinc

drink lots of water 5-6glasses/day

breakfast-oatmeal with
noon-fruit and vegetable salad
snacks?

1 time/week focus on relationships,nature and reflection and get exercise

eat like a king at breakfast,prince at lunch and pauper at dinner


foods rich in magnesium,manganese, vit c, b6, calcium

drink hard water with calcium and magnesium