Sunblock for People of Color
Although the Family Doctor website states that having fair skin and sunburning easily are often risk factors for skin cancer, Skin Cancer Info Line warns that dark-skinned people are more likely to suffer from fatal forms. People of color should protect their skin health by using sunblock. Does this Spark an idea?
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Considerations
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In the 2006 article, "Dark Skin Does Not Block Cancer," BBC news warned that having dark skin may give a false sense of security against the harms of sun radiation. Very dark skin has a skin protection factor (SPF) of only 13, whereas SPF 15 is recommended for sunblock.
Products
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Some sunblocks may leave a visible white residue on skin which is more pronounced with darker skin colors. Spray-on skin blocks are available as are sunscreens marketed as "sheer."
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Strength
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SPF rating is not proportionate to protection level. According to the American Association of Dermatology, sunscreen with an SPF of 15 offers 93 percent screening of UVB rays while SPF 30 sunscreen offers 97 percent screening. No sunscreen offers 100 percent screening.
Additional Benefits
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In a 2006 article published by BrownSkin.net, William Ting of the Dermatology Associates in San Francisco explains that sunscreen can minimize scarring and hyper-pigmentation due to acne on dark-skinned patients.
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References
- Photo Credit White orchid image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
