Skin & Eyes
How your genes affect pigmentation, UV sensitivity, skin aging, eye disease risk, and hair health
This category covers melanin production and skin pigmentation (SLC45A2, TYR), eye color and UV sensitivity (HERC2/OCA2), freckling and melanoma risk (IRF4), collagen degradation and photoaging (MMP1), hair follicle cycling (WNT10A), complement-mediated retinal damage (CFH, C3), mitochondrial RPE function (ARMS2), glaucoma risk (CAV1, SIX6), and refractive error (GJD2). These variants influence sun sensitivity, skin aging, and eye disease risk.
Genetic Variants (14)
rs16891982
(SLC45A2 L374F)Major determinant of light skin pigmentation in Europeans; lighter-skinned individuals have reduced melanin photoprotection and elevated melanoma risk
rs12913832
(HERC2)Intronic enhancer variant controlling OCA2 expression and determining blue versus brown eye color, the strongest genetic predictor of iris pigmentation
rs12203592
(IRF4 T allele)Regulatory variant in IRF4 enhancer affecting melanocyte pigmentation, sun sensitivity, freckling, and melanoma susceptibility
rs1042602
(TYR S192Y)Common tyrosinase variant affecting melanin production, skin pigmentation, tanning ability, freckling, and melanoma risk
rs1799750
(MMP1 1G/2G)Promoter polymorphism affecting MMP1 expression and collagen degradation rate, influencing photoaging severity and UV-induced skin damage
rs2180439
(WNT10A)Lead SNP at the 20p11 locus, the strongest autosomal genetic risk factor for androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness), affecting Wnt signaling pathways critical for hair follicle cycling
rs1061170
(CFH Y402H)Strongly increases risk of age-related macular degeneration through impaired complement regulation on retinal cells and drusen formation
rs10490924
(ARMS2 A69S)Second strongest genetic risk factor for age-related macular degeneration, affecting complement activation and retinal cell oxidative stress
rs2230199
(C3 R102G)Missense variant in complement C3 increasing risk of age-related macular degeneration through enhanced complement activation
rs4236601
(CAV1)Intergenic variant near caveolin genes affecting primary open-angle glaucoma risk and intraocular pressure regulation
rs33912345
(SIX6 Asn141His)Affects optic nerve development and retinal ganglion cell survival, strongly associated with primary open-angle glaucoma risk
rs524952
(GJD2)Intergenic variant near GJD2 affecting myopia risk and axial eye growth through retinal gap junction signaling
rs1800407
(OCA2 Arg419Gln)Eye color modifier gene influencing green and hazel eye color through melanosome pH regulation
rs1426654
(SLC24A5 Ala111Thr)Sodium/potassium/calcium exchanger that regulates melanin production in skin cells