Eli5: How does melanin work?

Question

Are you born with a specific amount of melanin and when you tan it just “toasts”? Or does the melanin in your body actually increase?

In: 1

Answer 1

There’s a class of skin cells called “[melanocytes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanocyte)” which produce melanin. They have a default rate of production that’s genetically determined, but that rate can be increased temporarily by exposure to UV-B radiation that causes sunburn, creating a tan.