In fact, every person’s palms and soles are lighter in color, regardless of race. Due to the difference in tone, this situation is more evident in blacks.
In addition, the lines in these areas will still be dark, unlike the light colors in these areas. For this reason, the lines on the palms and soles of black people are much clearer.
Our skin consists of layers called stratum corneum, epidermis and dermis from the outside to the inside.
The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the skin and consists of dead skin cells. This part also provides protection against harmful rays. The epidermis is where melanin is produced/stored. The concentration of melanocytes here also provides protection against harmful rays.
Our skin color is determined by the melanin produced by cells called melanocytes. Dark-colored people have a higher concentration of melanin. The reason for this is that our skin has developed a shield against the Sun in the evolutionary process.
In fact, for this reason, the skin color darkens as you go to hot regions.
In the evolution process, due to the high temperatures in Africa, people there adapted to the environment. Africans’ bodies have created too much melanin in their skin to protect themselves from the sun’s rays.
After this adaptation, their genes were passed on to the next generations. That’s why today’s Africans have a black skin color. As you move away from the hot regions, the skin color shifts towards white as this natural shield is no longer needed.
This feature, which protects us over millions of years of evolution, can come into play even in just a few hours, making our skin dark.
It is therefore good if the stratum corneum is thick. The thicker it is, the more we are protected from harmful rays. Our skin on the palms and soles has a thicker stratum corneum compared to other areas of the skin and therefore does not require a large concentration of melanocytes.
In other words, our body, which says “if it’s thick here, then there is no need for more melanin” keeps these areas white.
Sources: 1, 2, 3
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