Contrary to popular belief, black and mixed skin types must also protect themselves from the sun . Dehydration, desquamation, dryness and even sunburn can occur in summer. It is the melanin contained in the epidermis that gives the skin its color. The latter has developed as a function of the genetic adaptation of man to his environment. Caucasian, white skins produce less melanin than dark skins. Black skins originally live in a sunny climate, melanin is therefore produced in greater quantities to act as a shield against UV rays.
In the long term, the harmful effects of the sun are to develop skin cancers : carcinomas (95% of cases) and melanomas (5% of cases but the most serious). If they mostly affect people with fair skin, the risks are not completely excluded for those with dark skin. According to data from the American Cancer Society, published by the Skin Cancer Foundation, each year in the United States, 1 in 100,000 people in the black population would develop melanoma, 4 in 100,000 people in the Hispanic population and 25 people out of 100,000 in the white population. At the end of a five-year period, the survival rates would be 93% in "Caucasian" patients and only 70% in African-Americans,…
There are approximately 35 different shades of black skin with brown and dark epidermal natures, which, like Caucasian skin, require special attention and appropriate protective uses.
Matte phototypes (4 and 5) tan easily, they can develop rashes or even, in the longer term, melanoma if they are exposed intensely, long and regularly without protection. And if this danger is low or even zero for the darkest level (phototype 6), it is however not excluded!
During the first exposures, it is preferable for phototypes 6 to use at least an SPF 15 protection factor. For lighter skin, indices ranging from 30 to 50 depending on the degree of sensitivity are recommended.
Mixed-race, dark or black skin is at risk of sunburn , skin aging and skin cancer . Controlled sun exposure and appropriate protection help prevent sunburn and hyperpigmentation problems, a common inconvenience in black skin. Melanin is a pigment that protects the deep cells of the skin, dark skin contains a higher level of melanin than white skin. Black skin, which is more pigmented, is therefore naturally more resistant to the sun, however, they are not immune to the harmful effects of the sun and the risk of developing cancer. Sun resistance tends to weaken when dark-skinned people live in less sunny climates. The sun is indeed one of the people responsible for the production of melanin, dark skin is therefore no longer as protected if the sun is less present.
To avoid the risk of burns, pigment spots and premature skin aging, the use of strong>sun protection is essential. It is always chosen according to the color of the skin and the sensitivity of the latter. Black skins can be satisfied with an SPF equal to or less than 30. Black and mixed skins are often more prone to skin dryness, it may be wise to turn to particularly moisturizing sunscreens to avoid the risk of desquamation. Regardless of the color of your skin, it is always advisable not to expose yourself to the sun during the hottest hours, when the sun is at its zenith, between noon and 4 p.m. Parasols, hats and t-shirts are welcome. To relieve dark skin after exposure,healing gels and balms are suitable solutions, natural products based on Aloes offer softening and anti-inflammatory properties.
