In lighter hair, melanin is located primarily where?

• A. In the cuticle
• B. In the cortex only
• C. In the medulla
• D. Evenly distributed in all layers

Answer: (B)

Melanin is produced by pigment cells in the hair bulb and then becomes part of the keratinocytes in the hair shaft, giving hair its color. The cortex is the thick middle layer where most of the pigment resides, so in lighter hair the pigment remains concentrated there. The outer cuticle is just the protective outer layer and doesn’t contain pigment. The medulla, when present, is the central core and often has little or no pigment, especially in lighter hair. Because there’s less melanin overall, it isn’t evenly distributed across all layers; it’s mainly in the cortex, which is why lighter hair looks lighter.