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Call for questions: Melanology (Patreon)

Published:
2022-11-13 22:27:42
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Tomorrow I get to chat in person with Dr. Tina Lasisi, a Biological Anthropologist who studies "the evolution of human variation in pigmentation and scalp hair." We had recorded over Zoom a year or so ago but had a massive sound issue with the files, so we get to do a do-over in person and we're changing the focus slightly to pigmentation. 

So leave your melanin questions for her below! I'm thrilled to see her. 

Yay,

Ol Pops

Comments

Rachel Kendrick

It makes sense that melanin is like sun block on skin, but dark hair absorbs so much heat, isn’t it counterproductive?

Melissa Wise

Is there actually anything that works to make hair thicker or grow for us people with thin hair?

L. Wink

I have hundreds of freckles all over me. Even on areas that are covered from the sun. Is this because it is my normal skin tone or something else?

Suzie Newby

What makes some people’s hair get darker at the ends compared to where it comes out of the head but other people’s hair get lighter at the ends?

Eleonoora

First time question asker here! Do different hair types protect from heat better then others?

Audrey Lloyd

Why does hair color change over the course of someone’s life? For example, I had very dark hair when I was born that lightened to blonde, now it is brown

Celiaxolotl

Can you explain what the different types of melanin do, and why we have a couple kinds?

Ashley Oki

Why is melanin important when people who don’t get sunburn are still at risk for skin cancer? Is the benefit purely short term?

Gordee

*ftqa* does hair color come down to genetics? Or does it change with the climate of the earth? Will there one day be no more natural blondes due to its recessive gene?

Lux ❤︎

What’s up with hair types / colors / textures changing with the sun or as people age? From both natural or unnatural causes? Or epigenetics? Or even in some cases cancer treatments causing a change in hair texture? Thank you!!!

Harper

Why do some people have freckles, and how are they different from birthmarks?

Ashley Oki

Why aren’t babies born with all their melanin? Does it develop later or just show up later?

Mowana Lomaomvaya

Do we know if having more skin pigmentation has an effect on having skin conditions or diseases like melanoma or eczema? Not related to my question, but I’m thankful I’m melanin poppin’ and don’t have to worry about having a tan.

Sara Edgar

Why does the sun change the pigment of hair the longer its exposed?

Ashley Oki

Is it true that the amount of melanin in your skin generally depends on how far from the equator your ancestors lived (because of how much sun you’d be getting)?

Scott Sheldon

There is a derogatory name for native people of North America similar to “Scarlett Integument”. I’m part Cherokee and my skin when I tan happens to be more red in color even though I’m mostly white. Why does that reaction happen?

Nina Giacobbe

Talk to me about redheads. Is it true they need less sunlight/are better at making vitamin d? Why are redheads so smoking hot? Also why do some men have brown scalp hair but red beards? ((Last name pronounced "juh-KOH-bee")

Gertlebob

What makes hair curly? Is it genes? Is it hair health? And why do some people lose their curls with menopause? Sorry so many questions, I'm just a curious curly

Tatum

So I had super light blond hair as a little kid, but now my hair's more brown. What can cause people's hair to change color throughout their lifetime?

Nancy Brown

As a child, I always asked the hairdresser (50 cent haircut...if you forgot your money, it was OK) to cut my hair curly, or at least thick. Both failed miserably. Anything to be done? BTW, what's with this cowlick?

Quincey Robisheaux

Do you think it's possible we could get weird hair colors far into the future? Like, blue or even purple hair?

Scott Pilkington

Random question time: how come scars don't have melanin? I have a lot of scars, mostly keloids because overactive immune system, and my doctor warned me I don't have melanin there and since I live in NZ and we have the hole in the ozone layer here (thanks guys) I'll skip the "sun gives me sunburn" stage and go straight to the "sun gives me cancer" stage, so I always have to wear shirts etc. to the beach (I don't (yet) have a beach bod so I'm not too upset yet).

Scott Sheldon

A friend of mine has just a stripe of white hair in his beard in otherwise brown hair. How does that occur?

Lauren Seibert

Vitiligo, why does it happen and does it affect people with darker skin tones more? I’m fair skinned and have this condition and it’s hard to tell, but I’ve always wondered if it affects certain populations more than others.

Ashley Oki

I know that in some reptiles, leucism, or a lack of melanin/pigment, is not really associated with the same risks as albinism in mammals (with the small exception that if they lack pigment in their eyes, they could be a little more sensitive). Why is this?

Kate Stomps

Why do some people go gray/white earlier than others? My hair has significant white and I’m in my late 20s!

Adam Silk

What causes diseases like alopecia? I have it myself (a patch of my beard is snow white). Is it autoimmune?

Jack Sparks

What's the deal with freckles?

Jeff Eisen

FTQA - Is there any evidence to support the idea that skin colour can serve as a useful proxy marker for genetic relatedness? Does skin colour have any basis as a variable of value in medical studies (or any other studies)? Why do we collect data and report outcomes by skin colour?

Amy Narimatsu

Why does some skin tan versus burn, and why do some people tan so fast? I'll get crazy tan lines from being in the sun for 10 minutes. P.S., I'm half Japanese and naturally pretty tan if that helps :)

Melanie Baker

For a sec I thought there was going to be a whole episode about me. Alas... What is going on with pigmentation scarring/post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, since it seems different from freckles, tanning, etc.

iHazQuestions

First time question asker… why do we go gray I’m assuming it has something to do with fertility or lack there of???? Maybe?? But why do men go gray too even though they can continue to produce offspring and I know this isn’t about pigmentation but what signal does male pattern baldness convey

Terena

Is it true that the number of red heads is declining? Why would that be?

Justin Saucedo

and the hairs they sprout. Or is that just moles?

Nina Eve Z.

As someone who dyes their hair various shades of rainbow every couple of months I second this question. I fully identify as a pink-haired human over the changeful auburn I was born with.

Nana From Canada

Does the amount of melanin/pigment in hair have a correlation to thickness of hair?

Jeanette-o-saur

Tans - is there a transition between protective and straight up damage? Or is all tanning harmful? My dad has a permanent farmers tan (despite being very careful about covering up over the past several years). If a tan ceases to go away, what does that mean? (If anything) I've heard that diet can effect resistance to sunburns. Is that real or flim flam?

Jackie

How far back in time did human look recognizably like our hair? (Or some of our hair)

Ashley Adair

Similarly why does puberty purportedly change hair texture?

Nina Eve Z.

How does stress affect scalp hair pigmentation? Like, does stress really cause you to go grey (thinking about Obama entering the White House versus leaving- was that just him getting old or the stress of being in charge of the insanity that is the US or both?)

Trevor Durning

Hey! I started going grey at 14, now at 31 I have pretty much a full head of grey hair. What the heck is going on here? Sure, my father looks like Santa Claus these days, but is it truly genetics or the fact I mixed shampoos as kid? Thanks!

zombot

My dad has blue eyes and my mom has brown eyes. When I was a baby my eyes were blue and now I have "mood ring" eyes (some days they're more brown, some days green). Can you explain this?

Alexandre Catulle

I got a vitiligo mark on my forehead. It never spread or anything. The dermatologist told me her couldn't explain why it came, and that it's possible that it will disappear by itself. I guess my question is what is vitiligo exactly and what do we know about it.

Kyla C (KAI-luh, rhymes with Myra or Lyla)

In terms of the revival of color matching (at least on TikTok), do we understand what makes certain people more "cool" vs "warm" pigmented, not to mention the various four seasons we can be? How do people have differing levels of blue, pink, or green in their skin?

zombot

How does vitiligo occur? Did Michael Jackson have it?

Justin Saucedo

Do animals have pigmentation the same way humans do? Are there "races" of golden retrievers?

Joe Savina

Humans burn in the sun in a relatively predictable pattern (back, nose, tops of feet, scalp, etc.), but we don't have higher baseline melanin in those areas. How come?

Anne Barnes

FTQA - why are there so many people with albinism in Fiji?

Jeremy

There’s a rumor that red hair loses pigmentation (and turns gray) sooner than other hairs. Is that true? Why?

Bonnie Detwiller

Why do some people tan and others, like me with my blessed Irish/Scottish blood, just go full lobster in the sun instead?

Curious Cat

Why does our pigmentation change as we get older? Like, why do white folks get age spots? Why does hypopigmentation occur in Black folks? What's the dealio?

Jeremy

Salt and pepper hair. So sexy.

Anna C

FTQA: Why does my skin go red where the sun hits it even though I protect it every day? I'm so careful with sunscreen but I have a permanent red farmer's tan on my arms that looks like a burn - my mum is the same!

Kelsey lore

Why is it that for some reason when blonde's dye their hair is seems to grow back darker than it naturally was?? And Also, I have heard that when the whole shaving causing hair to come back darker is a myth, but once I plucked one arm hair to check, and I swear there is one hair darker than all the rest now. Is that just in my head? Or is it true?

zombot

I heard that most redheads have brown eyes, but 2% have green eyes and 1% have blue eyes, is this true?

Kyla C (KAI-luh, rhymes with Myra or Lyla)

What makes reptiles, birds, and amphibians so special that they get skin and feather colors of the rainbow? Why are so many mammals just varying shades of brown and pink?

Jessica Rudd

Are there any species for which amelanism might be beneficial (or at least not particularly harmful)? I know that hyper-melanism can be advantageous for some reptile species, but amelanism usually isn’t ideal for thermal regulation and camouflage in the wild. Are there any species out there for which amelanism doesn’t have these types of consequences?

Lorie B

Can we please once and for all have the final answer about black folks and sunscreen? yes? no? sometimes?

judy

I once heard that black hair doesn't exist, only really dark brown. Is this true?

Kelsy Simpson

What even are birthmarks and why are they a different pigmentation than the rest of our bodies?

Will Clark

How has visual media portrayal of skin color influenced racial prejudice?

Arianna Mattson

What is it about the mutation of the mc1r gene that causes brown hair to be red and dark eyes to be light and light sensitive? What is that mechanism? My freckles are acute moments of melanin but why do they show up as small spots leaving the majority of my skin pale. And why does it effect my pain receptors and need for extra anesthetic, cause going to the dentist is super painful. As a mutant my superpowers are that I can feel slight variations in temperature change, am so pale that I am nearly black light responsive and can feel the sun cook my skin within five minutes. The sun has been my arch-nemesis my whole life. Talking to animals, super speed or flight would have been more helpful.

sarah

I'm a redhead so I have a couple of questions! 1) I am very pale and as someone who struggles with heat and humidity I often tell people I'm not genetically designed for heat! How accurate am I though?! 2) Older family members have had their red hair fade to blonde and then white - it's often been talked about that redheads are fortunate to not go grey. Is this true of all redheads? I have also always had a few stray white hairs, and seem to get more as I get older - how similar is this to greying? 3) I live in New Zealand and redheads don't seem to be uncommon here, but when I visited Europe it felt like there were fewer, is NZ just disproportionately flush with redheads?

Donald Hodges

Is there a genetic component that aligns hair and skin to personality, as is found in cats?

Lindsay Harrigan

Why is it so hard for me to dye my red hair? I have had red hair my whole life, and when I was younger I wanted to rebel against my mother, who told me again and again that she would KILL for my red hair. But no matter what I've tried, hair dye never sticks to my hair, to my mother's great relief. I have had parts of it bleached to "balayage" it, and it seems to take much longer for my hair than other people, per my hair stylist. What's up with my thick ginger genetic mutation?

Earl of Greymalkin

1) Why do humans generally not have stripes or other pigment variations? 2) When hair goes grey, is it that pigment production is lessened over time or is the pigment compound itself altered in any way? 3) How, structurally, is pigment deposited in hair? Is this different at all between different hair types or people? 4) How many different types of pigment can people make? 5) Do you get pushback from your field from your work as from your paper "The constraints of racialization: How classification and valuation hinder scientific research on human variation"? How much have you had to train in sociology to fight histories of racist assumptions? 6) How does your research inform forensic science? 7) How did pigment loss actually happen in depigmented populations? (And how sure are we of the answer?)

Cyntia B

Vitiligo is a fairly well-known skin condition. What are lesser-known pigmentation skin conditions, are what are their causes (as well as vitiligo's cause)?

Katie Sharp

What's the deal with these apparently invisible stripes that everyone's covered in? Is it true that cats can see them and we can't for some reason? I heard there's a skin condition that makes these visible? DOES MY CAT THINK WE'RE BOTH TABBIES?? AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, DOES HE THINK I KNOW THIS TOO, AND ONLY WEAR CLOTHES BECAUSE I'M EMBARRASSED BY MY STRIPEYNESS???

Marvette Fudge

I am a black person with a very light complexion, think Mariah Carey. I had surgery and the incision healed brown. The healing did take some time, about 2 months. I'm just curious why it healed with the color discrepancy? I have had other significant cuts, and they healed without any discoloration.

Jonny Clark

Are moles, birthmarks, freckles, and the likes a build-up of melanin? Why do freckles in particular not form more evenly on the skin and just become dot clusters?

Cherish Gray

I need to know this as well! And I have the same backstory wanting to rebell against it being a redhead and my mother. And now that I had fried it over the past 15 years, one it doesn't grow back the same beautiful vibrant bread and used to be and too I can't get red hair dyes to stay in my hair to save my life. Lol

Andy Pollard

How do variations in melanin affect how anthropologists study tattoos?

Cyntia B

Are there some populations who live at latitudes where they should have dark skin, but their skin is actually much lighter than what would be predicted? Why so?

Cara B

Red head question: Do we know the ethnic origins of red hair? Growing up I was always called "the little Irish girl" when in fact I am not Irish at all. I know mostly Northern Countries have red heads: Irish, Viking, Russian but do we the timeline of the genetics?

Josh Frye

Would love to hear thoughts on emotional and cultural impact to people with Vitiligo. As a Caucasian man with a fair complexion - I have to point out spots to others, but for those with naturally darker skin I'm sure it's not so easy. How can we all help demystify this condition?

Ali Vessels

How are freckles different from moles different from birthmarks different from.... All the other little spots that show up on our skin??

Charlie

why do some people tan really well but others not at all, within the same family my mum burns like a crisp as with my sister but my brother and I tan like theres no tomorrow, my sister has Auburn hair while everyone else is either blonde or black thats strange to me

Specs Owl

Is it true that the more melanin you have, the less vitamin D you get from the sun?

Gabrielle Frimpong

Why does albinism affect eyesight? Is it that less pigment in the iris equals less sun protection?

Alia Myers

Does the amount of melanin you have change throughout your lifetime? Or with lifestyle changes?

Andrea Devlin

Is it possible to be PART albino? I ask because I have white (not blonde) eyebrows, eyelashes, arm/leg hair- but I'm a redhead. I've never seen anyone else with this combination!

Danae DeJournett

Leucistic vs albino! Besides humans and sharks, what other animals, plants, organisms, etc. tan themselves?

Erin Ryan

Asking for a sister - why does vitiligo happen, and is it for real permanent?

Specs Owl

Why do darker skin tones *tend* to correlate with darker hair? Like why are there very few people with dark skin who have naturally blond/ginger hair; but with white people, it's not uncommon for them to have dark hair, as well as blond/ginger? (Hoping this question makes sense!)

Savannah Glenn

How are Blaschko’s lines even a thing?? Also why do I get sunburned so much more than everyone else in my family? Please send help I use sunscreen daily 🥲

MB

Was there ever a selective advantage for freckles or are they just random? Why are they so much more common in paler people?

Shelby Smith

What color was Jesus? Why does sun exposure give you freckles?

Specs Owl

Is skin bleaching more harmful than other cosmetic skin procedures?

Marianne Thomas

To what extent is it possible to predict hair colour based on parentage? Like, are there recessive/dominant genes for melanin? And what's the difference between black & red melanin?

Average_pi

Why do I have both brown freckles and white freckles? Why are my eyes green and brown? Why does skin just be the colors it is and not orange or red or green?

Cassandra Grafstrom

How much “sun protection” does having more natural melanin provide relative to those with very little (eg Scandinavians)?

Between Dumplings

Does every culture have bias/colorism? What is the link between hormones and spotting (e.g. age spots)

Noel Dietz

Why do we lose the pigmentation in our hair as we age?

Melissa Merkel

Why do blue eyes tend to be linked with blond hair?

Specs Owl

I would also like to know the answer to this, and actually, my skin seems to do the opposite - I'm a mixed race person (Indian/English) and my skin would probably be called "olive". But my scars have all healed very white. Almost like there's no pigmentation at all!

Sonjabird

What causes liver spots or age spots and how can I lessen their appearance?

Specs Owl

I'm going to start wondering this now too! My lizard Pan has such beautiful colours (and she's not even that colourful by lizard standards!) But I also wonder if we are actually many different colours but we can't see them all 😄

Marianne Thomas

So excited! So many questions! First, someone has to ask- What's with pubes?! Why are they darker? And when did people start being blonde? How come babies' hair always seems to get lighter & then darker again? And how much does skin pigmentation change between infancy & adulthood? Babies never seem to look coloured in right for the first few weeks

Anna Frazier

what causes a random loss of pigment in skin? someone close to me in the family tree has patches of pure white skin that started forming as they aged, 35 years and beyond . fyi they are of southern european descent, if that helps

Jeanette-o-saur

I know skin burns easier at higher elevations. Do other location factors apply? I have a colleague who said they never wear sunscreen in Africa and are give, but in Canada they burn. What's going on there? Also why haven't we adapted to being in the sun and stopped burning, period? Is it our indoor lifestyle? Has the sun gotten that much hotter throughout human existence?

Cate Muenker

What happens when someone has a patch of white hair as a child? What sort of genetic mutation is that when it’s only a small patch of scalp?

Specs Owl

My eyes appear more green in the morning and more brown as the day goes on. I looked this up once, and read that that is just your sight adjusting to light levels throughout the day, and that it's impossible for eyes to change colour day by day... But this also might be flim flam!

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

Are some particular birthmarks genetic? (Or are they?) Example, my daughter is 1/2 Nicaraguan and has a cafe au lait birthmark same as her dad.

Rebecca Wolf

What is the current status of MC1r gene research? A redhead still needs some help explaining things at the doctor! I'm a 130 pound woman who needed the anesthetic of a 200 pound person for tonsil surgery. Why must our pigment do these things to us?

Jen

I used to joke that I only will get tan once my freckles join together. Every summer as a kid(my mom tried to keep the sunblock on), I got sunburnt and thought it was normal to have my shoulders and nose peel all summer (until I moved to the midwest). My arms are now maybe 1/4 white spots, 1/6 freckles and the rest normal pinkish. Are the white spots permanent damage or normal-ish? Skin doctor only cares about moles, but are the white spots scar tissue from past sunburns/freckles?

Aoife Holmes

What are freckles? I have them but they nearly disappear mid winter every year and are crystal clear again in summer time

Specs Owl

The answer to the first question there is in the hair episode, but I'd like to know the answer to your last question!

Sharika Elahi

if people with more melanin are less likely to get sunburned, are they also less likely to develop issues like skin cancer or other skin-related problems? should I be putting on more sunscreen than I do

Samantha Reyes

What is the deal with vitiligo? Why has my melanin ghosted me?

Jess Loeffler

Why are grey hairs so much more wirey and unruly? And what's up with their placement? I have dark brown hair and have been developing a patch of whites right where they're most visible.

Ann Over

Why is pigmentation so important to people? Why can't we look into the eyes and souls of people and hold back from judgement?

Ashley Walther

I love my freckles, but honestly, what’s the evolutionary benefit? Is this evolutions way of saying sorry you don’t tan?

Pacheecha

Is there a reason why gray and white hairs show up more quickly in the upper and more visible part of the scalp? And why do some people get tan and others don't? And how come the tan fades instead of sticking around?

Lindsay Harrigan

Am I going to eventually turn into one continuous freckle? Do they go away and come back? It feels like I have a new crop every summer

Rachel von Morrigan

Cosmetologist over here! I’ve seen strands that are pigmented, then there’s a section that’s white/grey, then the strand is pigmented again. I know folks can have stress related grey, but how?!

Janna Wisniewski

Is there an evolutionary benefit to light skin? I can understand dark skin being an asset at lower latitudes, but why did we lose it as humanity moved north?

Manasvi Verma

Yes, this. I grew up in India where nobody ever wears sunscreen and I’m only just beginning to realize that maybe I should’ve been putting some all along.

Lee T.

Why does the sun cause freckles? What causes moles? What are skin tags? Why do some of us get those little red ones? Does sunscreen actually work? What’s the right amount of sun exposure based on skin tone? How do I mitigate skin cancer? Why do I have spider veins now that I’m in my 30s? Why do I still have a “bruise” from my 2012 ACL surgery?

Manasvi Verma

What’s the deal with hyperpigmentation? I struggled with a lot of skin issues growing up and have been left with patches of hyperpigmentation, why is that?

Marvette Fudge

I hope our question makes it into the episode!

Lee T.

As a whitewater kayaker, I regularly get white spots on my back and shoulders. They spread. Using selsen blue shampoo on my body has helped in the past. What is this fungus and why does this shampoo help deter it?

Sydonie S.

What causes someone to tan more than others?

Therese Enders

As a half-redhead (my dad is as ginger as they come), I'm curious about how this affects those of us who might have the freckles and a few bright red hairs, but aren't actually redheads. Also, wtf is with my getting melanoma at 35 when my dad lives in Florida, has a history of burning so badly we always said he looked like a lobster, burned his EYELIDS once, and is somehow (thankfully) nearing 80 without ever having had skin cancer?

Lee T.

Why do my legs (especially the front of my thighs) get little bumps in the winter but not in the summer?

Brynn

What is the history of sunscreen? When and how did we as humans figure out that we needed that? Did humans use substances found in nature as sunscreen before we started mass producing it in tubes?

Tobie Tobias

is albinism the absence of melanin?

Lee T.

Why does hair thin when we age? Can we do anything about it? Do sunburns increase our risk of skin cancer? What exactly are hives? Do hot showers make our skin dry? What autoimmune diseases cause itchiness, rashes, or other skin issues?

Maureen Kennedy

I was always told no one gets freckles on their palms and bottoms of their feet. If true, what are the freckley things I’ve had on my palms and bottoms of my feet my whole life?

Tim Pfarr

Can gray hair ever regain its original coloring, or are we just screwed once it loses its color (save for hair dye)?

Heidi Johnstone

How recently did some humans evolve to have white skin? Do we know what evolutionary benefits it had?

Frances Hurst Brubaker

How does hair color change naturally? I imagine it like chlorophyll leaving tree leaves. Why do some kids have blonde hair that darkens as they age? Also, why do some people get white hair, and some people have grey as they age?

.

Ftqa - why do greys grow in zig-zagged like they’re over-caffeinated? Will time make me look MORE like an enthusiastically-tinseled dead Christmas tree? And will these glitter hairs trap heat like white animal fur?

Christine Hecker

Does your skin fade the way your hair loses colour? Some people's skin makes it super obvious they're dying grey or white hair.

Katie Munoz

I heard that blond haired, blue eyed people inherit their coloring from Neanderthals. Is that true?

Christine Hecker

What is the actual definition between a freckle and a mole? Are all the perma-freckles on my bod actually moles?

Shannon Bushnell

My son is racially mixed and sometimes he gets hypo-pigmentation spots that make him look a little like a Dalmatian puppy. It seems related to when he has eczema outbreaks but he was also born with a light birthmark and a dark one. What causes these anomalies and is hypo-pigmentation common in relation to eczema? Is it related in any way to vitiligo? Is there a connection between auto-immune disease and hyper or hypo pigmentation? (FTQA)

Emily Krieger

have freckled people ever been discriminated against in a culture, seen as evil or lesser than etc.?

Alex Glow

Is it true humans have stripes they can’t see?

Hope

What’s up with those individual hairs that are way darker than all the other hair?

Snakes_N_Bakes

I would love to hear a breakdown of the genetic/molecular differences between tyrosinase-negative and tyrosinase-positive albinism

Stephanie Coombes

Why do my freckles and fair skin mean I wrinkle and age faster? Or is that just me?

Naomi Jane

Is there a hereditary aspect to going grey? My Mum's side of the family has salt and pepper hair, turning that way a lot slower than my Dad's, who all had much whiter hair much more suddenly. I'm curious because it seems it could go either way for me right now.

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

I’ve seen the start of a push to have more examples of skin conditions and disease impact on dark skin in medical texts and online for general public health education. Are there other examples of needed reform, access, education or information around different skin pigmentations? What can non-medical people do to support the shift to more representation in the medical world?

Chelsea-Victoria Turner

Omg! I have listened to some of her talks and it is just fascinating stuff! Oooooooooooo this is going to be a good one! I guess I'm curious as to...why freckles are a thing and why are moles dark.

Caitlin C

I'm about to turn 30, and the only gray hairs I've had so far have grown in in stripes. Like six inches of the hair will be gray, then another six inches will be black, and then gray again (yes, on a single strand!)- as if my head is a printer slowly running out of ink. So basically what's the deal with that??

AlyssaMalyssa

Second time question asker but I missed the cutoff for the first one 😅 why do hair color and eye color sometimes change with age? Similarly, why do some people get a lot of freckles when they’re young (especially on their face) and then they fade with age?

Kendall M

Is vitiligo the same as albinism?

Miranda Panda

Why are my dark hairs thicker than my blonde hairs?

Miranda Panda

Why do blonde people usually have blonde leg hair, but darker armpit and genital hair?

Shannon O'Grady

I am one of the palest people I’ve ever seen. I ask my boyfriend whenever we’re in public and I see I pale person “are they paler than me?” And the answer is usually no. No one in my family is this pale! How did I end up this way??

Elizabeth Reed

When did we first start seeing changes in hair color?

Elizabeth Reed

Also, how far back do we have archeological evidence of hair? AKA how old is the oldest hair we’ve found

Paul Cirillo

Why do native inuit/alaska natives have darker skin while most other populations close to the poles are very pale?

Nicole Kleinman

I’m a red head, and I seem to require more pain/numbing medication or anesthesia than normal. The DRs say it’s common for people with red hair, but why?

Rob Brennan

What are dark circles? (the kind that never leave no matter how great your sleep hygiene is)

Katherine Wood

Why do babies have lighter and sometimes more curly hair than when they grow up

Katherine Wood

Why do people grey when they get old? Btw it’s my first question!!!

Abby

Why do some people go bald and some people go grey but still have such luscious locks?

Abby

Why do some people spontaneously get curlier hair as they age? Also why do some people get curly hair during chemo?

Pavka34

I never heard this but really want it to be true.

Amelia Frank

I’ve heard the same thing about red heads (of which I am one). Is it true for either? Both? Neither?!

Amelia Frank

My red headed brother has tons of freckles throughout the year. I am a redhead and dramatically less freckled - they also fade quickly after the summer ends. Why do freckles work differently?

Amelia Frank

Also: what is up with this whole “daywalker” nonsense? What is the historical beef with redheads that seems to be carried forward to today? (ie “punch a ginger day”)

Trevor Doty

Whaaat? Freckles can fade?! That's crazy.

Trevor Doty

Why do I have hair on the left side of my chest but basically none on the right? My cheeks are the same.

Vero Tavares

How can you explain the continuous changes in pigmentation in people with vitiligo? Does the amount of pigmentation affect the shape of hair follicles? How do hormones affect pigmentation? Is melasma reversable? Is pigmentation/ discolouration patches hereditary? How do you explain the Aylmer twins? Do I get to ask these many questions?

Pavka34

Did we get red hair from the Neanderthals?

Trevor Doty

Also, what's the gene that makes me fairly fur free above the waist and elbows, but then it's fur town from there down to my fingers and toes? I've seen pictures of my grandpa at the pool and he was the same.

Bailie Woods

Freckles… how do I have freckles but I don’t get a tan?? Like these little dots all over my body are tan, but I only sunburn! Pls explain!!

Meg Ahern

What is the point of freckles? I have them and they seem like a pretty inefficient way to protect the skin from UV rays.

Meg Ahern

I have the same. I think it's because we have poorer protection from sun damage.

Ray Holloman

What is happening to your Melanin when a person get a tattoo, is it harder to tell skin changes under them?

Betsy Hoffmeister

Thank you for asking this! I am deeply interested in the origins of colorism across cultures and time.

Pavka34

Can you bring back Jaír color? Other than with dyes, that is.

Betsy Hoffmeister

I'm a lactation consultant and I get to look at a LOT of nipples. One of the things that happens to almost all pregnant people is that their areolae get larger and darker, in theory to make a larger target for the newborn. Is that true? One question I get asked frequently by very fair-skinned redheaded clients is, is there any truth to the old wives tale that redheads feel pain differently than other pigmented people? I have heard this from enough redheads that I'm curious. I think someone else asked this as the MC1R gene question. Conversely, do people with different types of melanin expression feel pain in different ways?

Ann Hanlin

Why does the sun make your skin darker but your hair lighter?

Brittney Corrigan

I've had vitiligo on my hands and arms for years. It's never bothered me, and I thought it was kind of beautiful, like I was a snow leopard or something. But it has been growing and now appears on my face, around my mouth, which I'm not keen on. What causes vitiligo, and is there any way to slow its spread?

Melanie Timm

FTQA: As someone who is pretty freckly all over, why do some parts of our bodies have way more freckles than others? Do I need to keep track of all of these freckles individually - will I get more/less or different ones as my skin turns over? Also are all freckles the same thing OR is freckle a common term and there are many things that are known as freckles that are totally different things? As I get older I seem to also be getting anti-freckles - white spots that are freckle size and shaped. What are they and why? I'm in Texas and it's SO HOT AND SWEATY to be applying topical lotions or covering up all my skin. Are there any big improvements to how we protect our skin from sun damage on the horizon?

Amanda Banks

Why is that indigenous North Americans have a darker skin tones and hair than most northern Europeans, despite also being in the northern hemisphere?

FrankD

Does more freckles = higher risk of skin cancer?

Haley K.

Not sure if this is completely related but can we please talk about Blaschko's lines?! Aka stripes on human skin! I’ve heard that we usually can’t see them but cats can?

Haley K.

Question from my husband; why is it that scalp hair is the only hair we tend to lose?

Dorit

Please ask her about neural crest cells! These are the cells in the embryo that give rise to the pigment cells in our skin. It would be great to hear if her work ever explores how neural crest development links to pigment variation in people.

Jenna Congdon

I second all of this!! I have lots of freckles and have always wondered the same thing. As I've hit my 30s I've noticed the same "anti-freckles" specifically across my shoulders. And I hate sunscreen but apply it very very often...Besides wearing long sleeves in the sun, someone needs to invent something different! Lol.

Emily

Why does blonde hair get darker with age? My nieces had bright blonde hair as toddlers and now have sandy blonde to light brown hair.

Jenna Congdon

Does stress really cause grey hairs? Or is it just those pigment cells slowly turning off as we age? Why are grey hairs a totally different texture than "regular" hairs sometimes? And to add to the discussion about freckles: why are freckles so much more common on those with pale complexions? I've met a few folks with a deeper complexion who still had freckles, but that seems rare? Why is it that us pale folks can't get our melanin on evenly?

Stacie Bendixen

I'm a very freckly redhead and have so many questions! Why do I have freckles year-round regardless of how much time I spend in the sun? I have no freckles on parts that never see the light, though (my torso) - is that what the rest of my body would come to look like if I never went into the sun again? Or are my freckles permanent no matter what? Why don't I tan? I've heard that my red hair/blue eyes combination is the rarest hair/eye color combination - why? Is it true that redheads don't get gray hair (it goes straight from red to white)?

Val McKelvey

Why do some people have lighter and darker patches of skin, aside from specific dermatologic conditions? For example my brother has a swirl of lighter skin.

Jaden R

FTQA! I'm curious about birthmarks- since they can run in the family, is there anything we've learned through them about genetics, evolution, or history? There are some that tend to be particularly common in both appearance and location(like stork bites), so have there been any studies on why those are seen more often- and if they're seen more in any particular demographics?

Rae Press

Asking as someone with albinism, could you talk about some of the different types of albinism? When I got moles and freckles with even a little pigment I was surprised. I was told I wouldn't get them! (For context, I'm a white person with the oculo-cutaneous kind.)

Jessie Pearce

How has the presence of “tanning” (spray tan, lotion, booth, etc) impacted the field of study from an anthropological view?

Jessie Pearce

What happens when some freckles fade and reappear with sunlight, while other freckles stay forever regardless of sun exposure?

Victoria Oetting

Is it true that all blue eyes people have the same ancestor? If it’s true how the heck did we even figure that out?

Victoria Oetting

Why do moles on the scalp sometimes cause people to grow white head hair in that spot?

Renee Quekel

WHY am I pale as Snow White but covered in freckles? I do have a lot of melanin, just not distributed well?

Renee Quekel

My dad, brother, sister and I all have the same freckle under our foot. What about that?

Jenn Crawford

FTQA...why was I turning gray at 16? Not fair!

MN_09

My skin is very pale and every time I spend time in the sun, it becomes red. I never manage to tan because once the redness goes away, my skin is pretty much the same shade of pale. This happens without any sun protection, when the sun is less powerful (morning or afternoon). Most of the time, I put on SPF 50 sunscreen during the day to protect against sunburns, so even less chance of tanning. I have dark blond hair and green eyes (does it matter?) What is the explanation for this? Thanks!

Lacy

I have a grey streak in my hair, and discovered recently it was called a mallen streak. I'd love to hear you talk about this! Is it possible that someone would go grey in a certain area without it being a mallen streak? I know that they can be genetic, or due to a condition. But, do they continue to expand like normal hair-going-grey? Or? If someone has a mallen streak, but then goes grey entirely later....would he mallen-streak hair be identifiable from the "regular" grey hair under a microscope? Or is the mallen streak hair just "normal" grey hair in an isolated spot?

Megan

Why is the hair on my lower arms darker than the hair on my upper arms?

iHazQuestions

Every time I go to a make up counter I get told I have different coloring maybe I’m neutral? If that’s possible one day I’m cool one day I’m warm I’ve been called an autumn a dark autumn a dark winter

David

Long time listener, first time asker. How does the evolution of pigmentation relate to the interbreeding of Homo sapiens with other Homo species, such as Neanderthal, Devonian, etc.?

Gabrielle

So as someone with very fair light skin does this mean I have less pigment? Also idk if this is a dermatologist question but i have so many moles on my body and some of them are bigger and some are little and red and just appeared. Should i be concerned?

Anna Dhody

Hi, first time question asker (I think). I'm 50% South Asian, 25% Cuban, and 25% white. But I look mostly white. I have a hard time explaining to people that my outward appearance doesn't reflect my inner identity or my shared cultural experience with my family. How can I explain this to people who just see me one way? And more broadly... that people's phenotypes don't always reflect their genotypes?

Jennifer Huseman

What is the condition called that causes your skin to lose pigmentation? Is it hereditary? My paternal grandmother, 2nd cousin (also paternal) and possibly my brother has it (starting to lose pigmentation on his lip). Is it the same thing Michael Jackson had and is it related to Scleroderma (paternal grandmother also diagnosed with Scleroderma)?

Catherine Wood

FTQA - why does our skin pigmentation change when we get older? What's up with liver spots?

Your New Favorite Animal Podcast

My friends and I, who are all on the cusp of 40 were talking when one asked what lotions we used for aging. The three of us gave her a blank look because none of us use anything. The next morning, as I noticed my laugh lines and eyebags in the mirror I wondered, should we be using some thing? What actually works and what is a waste of money?

Bobbie

Growing up in Cali as a kid of the 80's I spent a ton of time in the sun and here we are 40 years later and I have melasma. What is it and why won't it go away ever?

Mary Long

Why didn’t/can’t we evolve more colors of skin/hair? I just seems unfair birds get all the fun.

Kai Kishimoto

Do people with darker skin have more melanocytes? Or just more active melanocytes?

Sebastian Echeverri

First time question asker; longtime fan of Dr. Lasisi and her research! I wanted to ask about birthmarks and other "patchiness" in skin color. What are the causes of these variations? How common is it to have these sort of patches of different skin shade? I have a few birthmarks that are noticeably darker than my normal (light brown) skin tone, but my entire belly and chest are a shade or two *lighter* than my flanks and back. Its not a tanline; the border b/w lighter and darker is fringed, not a straight line (plus I dont go outside enough to tan these days).

Sarah Meaden

I don't know if this is relevant, so if it isn't feel free to ignore. Why do we get more moles as we age? My daughter is terrified of getting them for some reason and I'd love some things to tell them to make it less stressful for them.

Sarah Meaden

Also, is it true humans have stripes and we just can't see them? How do I see my stripes?

Heidi Stooshnoff

Black-white mixed person here! I, and a few other mixed people I know tend to go blotchy when we tan. What's up with that?

Jules

Ooh what a cool topic! I have a white spot on my hair, something that showed up when I was a pre-teen! I am wondering if it’s true that sometimes spots of non-pigment show up in times of stress? Is it just genetics? Or some combination of both - or neither?! I’ve always been curious!

Heidi Stooshnoff

Also, why do eczema patches end up losing their pigment?

Sayyada Dharsee

I'm so excited for this episode! How *has* skin colouration changed over human history? Has it always been roughly what we see now? And what do you think the future looks like in this regard, as we're seeing more globalisation?

Delaney

why do the different places on your body have different types/textures/colors of hair?

Delaney

what exactly happens to hair when it turns grey? and why? is there a reason the texture also changes?

Delaney

why do different parts of the body become darker at different rates in the sun? even with aggressive sunscreen applied everywhere, i'm all different shades during the summer months.

Delaney

my hair absorbs SO MUCH heat in the sun. from an evolutionary standpoint, how could that be beneficial? would dark hair with light skin be counter intuitive?

Beth Kennedy

It's accepted scientifically that redheads are more sensitive to pain, less sensitive to anaesthetics so generally need more, and are more sensitive to opioids, so how does this affect people with different-coloured hair on different parts of their body, i.e., a person with dirty blonde hair who grows a ginger beard or a light blonde with a fire crotch? (Not saying who).

Sophia carey

Is it true that we developed our different skin colors across the globe in reaction to the varying amount of sun the groups were exposed to? Also, what sort of environmental necessity would account for the evolution of different eye shapes for example between Asians and Europeans? Thank you so much!

Becki Grady

Since I burned my skin in the sun several years ago, (like 30), why am I so sensitive to the sun now? I will burn in three minutes while wearing 3000 SPF sunscreen. Hasn't my skin gone through several iterations since then?

Ira Gray

What is the deal with freckles, why are they?

Kpelliss

Can vitiligo be caused when skin is damaged ? Eg mosquito bites, skinned knees etc. Or is something else going on?

Carla DM 101

Red-haired mummies found in China, Egypt, Peru. Is red hair more common in ancient world? Does hair color change after death or perhaps from embalming? Why do some men have brown hair but red facial hair?

iHazQuestions

Am I the only one that thinks humans are the Chinese crested versions of primates?

Molly

What’s the deal with vitiligo? Can vitiligo affect hair as well?

Christina Citak

What role, if any, does melanin play in albinism? (oh, I accidentally webmd'ed. But still, tell me more!)

Queen Jean

I have developed a pale mole, akin to the color of a white person's skin (according to a dermatologist) in recent years. I thought most moles were dark. What the heck is up with a light-colored mole?

Fiorelily

Silly question, but why do only some people get freckles? Neither my parents have freckles, but I have a fair amount of them.

Wren Beach

I am Native American 3/4 and 1/4 Sicilian Italian. I am three different tribes and each are different shades. My mom is full blood 1/2 Muscogee Creek and 1/2 Apache, however she is what people call “light skinned”. The difference of skin tone of her different tribes is across the spectrum. My father is 1/2 Cherokee and is incredibly dark. My siblings and I are all different shades. My brother and I are almost identical down to the same eye prescription but he is very dark compared to me. Basically, I am asking about Native tribe skin colors. Why are some tribes dramatically darker than others.

Taylor Jacot

Why are the palms of hands and bottoms of the feet a lighter skin tone than your normal overall skin tone?

Breann Sanders

I never thought about it, but it fits. Not so much because we have less hair as we're neurotic and think we deserve all the good stuff.

Breann Sanders

Why are the people of the British isles so pasty. I speak from experience. I have two colors, blinding white and lobster red.

Krystal Symons

Moles, freckles, albenism, vitiligo, oh my! What's with all the different melanin expressions? And why were/are people so obsessed with the colour of our skin?

Beth Kennedy

Me two, but there's also a fishbelly white shade.

Julia Vollmer

Does melanin itself have a color? If not, what is the mechanism that allows it to generate color?

Jasmine Kwasa

CANT BELIEVE I MISSED THIS, ALIE CAN YOU ASK THEM THIS QUESTION LATER? What is the correct way to measure melnanin content or pigmentation in healthy humans in a lab? The Fitzpatrick scale seems biased to lighter tones and colorimetry seems to be a non-precise science. (I'm studying the effects of melanin on light-based medical devices like fNIRS, pulse oximetry, etc.)

Ryan Marlow

How does melanin affect our ability to get/not get sunburned?

Bridget White

Why do we get "beauty spots' or flat moles? I have so many that in high school during a boring class my friends started connecting the dots from my wrist to bicep.

Bridget White

Why do so many men have multi coloured beards? They can be mostly brown but then have red and blonde sprinkled in.

Bridget White

How much of a role does stress play in pigment?

Kleargle

Is there an epigenetic factor that influences skin pigmentation? Eg what caused 'white' and 'black' skin to exist in different locations?? Is it radiation? Excessive vitamin D? Can I change how my skin reacts to sunlight by changing factors in my environment?

Jacob Dassa

Why do rashes/skin conditions present differently on different skin tones?

Katherine Wood

What am I doing when I bleach or dye my hair?

Katherine Wood

From my dad- why is my hairline afraid of my eyebrows?

Gillian Carver

What causes hair to be multitoned? My parents, brother, and grandpa have/had dark brown hair and my grandmother is blond, but my hair is mostly light brown with blond and a little red.

Savannah Frost

Just joined your Patreon and I'm so sad I missed this! Can you ask her why I got freckles when I turned 5 but didn't have them before? Also, why did my hair turn from brown to red as I got older?

Traveler Gates

Why is it so common for people who have one hair/skin type to wish that they had another?

Finlay

hi i just joined the patreon and my question is maybe weird but, when was the time we as humans started to lose most of the hair that our primate ancestors had, and why did we lose it? Im not sure if this is the right ology for this question but might as well ask!

Johanna Burr

Is sunscreen bad for you? And is it denying you vitamin D? It just seems so counterintuitive that we need lots of sun but it can also give us skin cancer. And how does skin pigment affect all of that?