Black People You Need Sunscreen Too

Black People You Need Sunscreen Too

Blacks need skin  protection when in the sun  too. Protecting the skin is important.
Blacks need skin protection when in the sun too-protecting the skin is important.

Black People You Need Sunscreen Too

We all have melanin, which gives our skin pigmentation. But some of us — because of genetics and ethnicity — have more than others.
In the past, it was believed the more melanin a person had, the less likely he or she was to develop skin cancer. We’ve learned this is false.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, all types of skin cancers are increasing among people of color in the U.S., including African-Americans and Hispanics. In people of color, basal cell carcinoma is the most common of the skin cancers, and leads to more deaths because of late detection.
We have also learned that people with darker complexions develop skin cancers in the least sun-exposed areas, such as the soles of their feet, palms, toenails and fingernails, and around the mouth. Cancerous moles, freckles, lesions and sores present very differently in darker-pigmented skin. They may be red, purple or black in color. They may change in size quickly or bleed easily.
We should all protect our skin daily by applying sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or more. People of color have a natural SPF of 13 from the melanin in their skin, so more protection may be required between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Prolonged Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) ray exposure can lead to skin cancer. UVA rays tend to penetrate the skin more deeply — 50 times more than UVB rays. Prolonged exposure from UVA rays can cause dark patches, wrinkles and premature aging, while prolonged exposure from UVB rays can cause sunburns and eye disorders.
SPF is a determinant of how long it will take UVA and UVB rays to burn skin that is not protected by sunscreen, which can be as little as 20 minutes based on the amount of melanin in your skin. It is theorized that a SPF of 15 protects the skin 15 times longer, and that with it, it can take up to five hours for the sun to burn the skin.
When choosing the appropriate SPF, it is important to note that an SPF of 15 will protect a person from 93 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, an SPF of 30 will protect a person from 97 percent of UVB rays, and an SPF of 50 will protect a person from 98 percent of UVB rays.
 

Knowing your basics about sun screen or sub block can help you protect your skin.

If you care the least bit about your skin, then you probably apply some sort of sunscreen or sunblock to your skin before going outside, but do you really know what to look for in these products? Did you hesitate there for a second? If so, then you might want to continue reading.

According to a new survey conducted by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology, less than 50 percent of the 114 individuals who participated in the survey knew what to look for in the label when it comes to purchasing a sunscreen. For instance, SPF stands for “sun protection factor” yet only 49 percent of the people who participated in the survey knew this.

Furthermore, the majority of participants – 81 percent – were convinced that the higher the protection, the better the protection against sun damage and skin cancer. That’s actually false. It’s not enough for a sunscreen to have a high SPF number. It should also protect your skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays, which will be labeled as “broad spectrum.”

Of course, protecting your skin doesn’t just end at lathering on the sunscreen.

There are several other precautions you can take to ensure that your skin stays healthy and beautiful.

Check out these following tips that we provided in a recent about how to protect your skin from the scorching hot sun this summer and add:

  • Always apply sunscreen liberally to all exposed areas of the skin at least 15 minutes before stepping foot outside, and be sure to do this all year round! Lastly, reapply every two hours.
  • For those hard-to-reach areas, including the back, grab a close friend or family member and ask them to apply it for you. Better yet, a lot of sunscreens come in the form of a spray so you can avoid those awkward backrubs.
  • If you can, avoid being outdoors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Why? That’s when the UV rays are the strongest.
  • Examine your skin thoroughly every month.
  • Wear protective clothing, including UV-blocking sunglasses and sun hats.
  • Planning on being outside all day? Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a SPF of 30 or higher.

 Years ago I went sailing with some friends and as always I applied my sun tanning lotion and  sun screen as I’ve done many times. But I failed to reapply the sun scree periodically. The sun felt good to a sun  baby like me with cool breeze from Lake Michigan.  Upon returning to land after a weekend on the boat I was shocked to awaken to sensitive dry skin that make my  skin appear like desert dry dirt. My skin was literally cracking  then it began to had peel. It was painful and very unattractive.

I went to the doctor to only to find out that I had sunburn. Quite frankly I was surprised, because I had thought African-Americans didn’t sunburn.  I can’t recall Africans suffering from sunburn so it was all rather surprising.  Further rays reflected from the water are magnified intensifying the sun’s effect upon the skin. We have changed our lifestyle and with it comes  physical and biological changes.  I’ve spent the next four weeks applying creams to my chafed forehead, arms and legs, remembering from a previous biology course that it takes four to six weeks for skin cells to regenerate.
This was a lesson learned. I had forgotten to reapply sunscreen. My original application of SPF of 50 gave me only 80 minutes of coverage. Now, I am is more aware to:

And if you’ve ever been burned by the sun 

■ Stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water daily.
■ Perform monthly self-skin exams by using a small mirror to thoroughly look at all areas of her body.
■ Use daily moisturizing lotions, facial cleansers and foundation makeup that include SPF broad spectrum against UVA and UVB rays.
■ Apply a liberal amount, minimum SPF 15 broad spectrum, when participating in outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Apply every two hours and more as needed if participating in water sports or sweating.
■ Wear sunglasses when outdoors. This helps to protect for UV rays produced by the sun, which can cause serious eye disorders.
■ Report any suspicious skin changes (i.e. moles, freckles, lesions, sores) to her health care provider.
■ Review my current medications with my health care provider. Some medications increase sensitivity to sun exposure.

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