What is the pigment that gives skin and hair its color?

The pigment that gives skin and hair much of their color is melanin.

Melanin is a family of natural pigments produced by specialized cells called melanocytes. In skin, these cells package the pigment into structures called melanosomes and transfer them to nearby keratinocytes. The amount, type, size, and distribution of melanosomes help create the wide range of human skin tones.

Two major forms are especially important. Eumelanin produces brown and black shades, while pheomelanin contributes red and yellow tones and is particularly associated with red hair. Hair color depends largely on the balance between these pigments, not on a single universal shade of melanin.

Melanin also helps absorb ultraviolet radiation, reducing the amount that penetrates skin cells, although it does not make sun exposure harmless. Hemoglobin can influence the appearance of lighter skin, and carotene can add a yellowish tint, but neither is the primary pigment responsible for skin and hair color. Very low or absent melanin production is associated with albinism.