Sunscreens are cosmetic creams or sprays where there are some ingredients which are able to absorb or deflect the UV rays so that UV rays cannot penetrate into our body. 

We Africans have enough melanin and strong skin. Do we need to use Sunscreen as well?

It is a myth that darker skin tones do not require UV protection. According to Cleveland Clinic having darker skin tonnes do not automatically provide protection from UV radiation and it may be even more problematic because of the late-stage diagnosis of the cancer. According to Washington Post a darker skin tone will give just a protection of up to SPF 7 where to be able to protect your skin at least SPF 30 products are recommended. Therefore, UV protection is necessary for the people of Tanzania and Africa in general.

At the following paragraphs you can see information about whether darker skin tones provide protection against skin cancer: 

It’s a fact: Skin cancer affects people of all colors. Even if you have a darker skin tone, always tan or rarely burn, you can still develop the disease. What’s more, for people of color, skin cancer is often diagnosed later, when it is harder to treat. This includes people of African, Asian, Latino, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Native American descent.

Simply put, if you have skin, you can get skin cancers. These include the nonmelanoma skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) as well as melanoma. Furthermore, ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can cause dangerous, lasting damage to your skin.

REF: https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-skin-of-color/

Though people of color (POC) are less likely to become afflicted with skin cancer, they are much more likely to die from it due to delay in detection or presentation. Very often, skin cancer is diagnosed at a more advanced stage in POC, making treatment difficult. 

Skin Cancer Concerns in People of Color: Risk Factors and Prevention

Alpana K Gupta Et Al; Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016; 17(12): 5257–5264

Dark skin does provide some protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays, but it’s a myth that people with dark skin tones are immune to the harmful effects of UV radiation. People of color have a lower risk of developing skin cancer than people with fair skin tones, but UV exposure raises the risk for everyone.

Columbia University

LİNK: https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/skin-cancer-people-color#:~:text=Dark%20skin%20does%20provide%20some,raises%20the%20risk%20for%20everyone.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *