The ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin determines

• A. Natural hair color
• B. Hair shine
• C. Porosity
• D. Density

Answer: (A)

The pigments in hair come from two main forms: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin is responsible for brown to black tones, while pheomelanin adds yellow to red tones. The visible color of your hair is shaped by how much of each pigment is produced and how they balance each other. When eumelanin dominates, hair appears dark brown to black. When pheomelanin is relatively higher or eumelanin is low, you get lighter colors with red or copper hues, such as red, coppery shades, or blonde tones with subtle warmth. So the ratio of these two pigments effectively sets the natural hair color you see.

Factors like hair shine, porosity, and density involve other aspects of hair structure and health. Shine comes from how smooth the cuticle is and how light reflects off it; porosity depends on cuticle integrity and openings that absorb moisture; density relates to the number of hair fibers per square inch, not the pigment mix.