Why are the genitals of humans much darker than the rest of our bodies?

Question

My own genitals are way darker than the rest of my body but I didn’t really think anything of it until it somehow crossed my mind again. For reference: I went to the local public swimming pool and while showering noticed that this was universal for everh male

Edit: The skin on the very tip is particularly dark. The foreskin that is. There’s a distinct color change.

In: 11

Answer 1

During puberty, your body produces a lot of androgen (hormone). This hormone interacts with melanocytes (these are the cells that create melamine – the thing that gives skin color) in peoples genitalia, giving darker skin color.

That’s why you usually don’t see this phenomenon in children.