Why Do We Have Different Hair Colors?

Alivia (grade 5) asked, “Why do we have different hair colors?” Great question!

The color of your hair is caused by a pigment called melanin.

The color of your hair is caused by a pigment called melanin (MEL-uh-nin). There are two kinds of melanin pigment: eumelanin (yoo-MEL-uh-nin) and pheomelanin (fee-eh-MEL-uh-nin). All human hair has some amounts of both pigments, but if you have dark hair (brown or black), you have more eumelanin in your hair. If you have light hair (blonde or red), you have more pheomelanin in your hair.

The levels of melanin in your hair can change over time, causing your hair color to change. For example, the production of melanin can slow down as you age, causing your hair to turn gray or white.

Melanin also makes up your eye color. If you have a lot of melanin in your irises (the colored part of your eye), your eyes will be brown. If you have a little melanin, your eyes will be blue.

Did you know that melanin also determines the color of your skin? It’s true! We all have the same basic skin color: brown. More melanin makes someone’s skin darker brown, while less melanin makes skin lighter brown. When God created the first two humans, Adam and Eve, on day six of creation week, they probably had a middle-brown shade of skin. Some of their children probably had light brown skin while others had dark brown skin.

No matter your shade of skin, or what color your hair or eyes, you were made in God’s image, and God loves you very much.

We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. From these first two people came all the different hair colors, eye colors, and skin shades we see today. And no matter your shade of skin, or what color your hair or eyes, you were made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and God loves you very much (1 John 3:1).

Do you have a question about God’s Word or his world that you want us to answer? Is there a topic you want to learn more about? Ask your parents to help you submit your question today. We’d love to hear from you!