SKIN CONCERNS: Sun Damage

Sun Damage

It is well known that melanin in brown skin provides protection from the ravages of aging due to ultraviolet light (UVL). In fact, the melanin in African American skin provides a natural sun protection factor (SPF) of about 13.4 compared to 3.4 for white skin. That means African American women can stay in the sun roughly 4 times longer than Caucasian women before sustaining sun damage.

Unfortunately, this often leads to a false sense of security and a misconception that brown skin is immune to problems related to prolonged sunlight. In fact, there are several risk factors to brown skin related to sun exposure. These include:

• Uneven skin tone - Because of the reactive and unpredictable nature of melanin, women with brown skin are more likely to suffer from problems such as dark marks, blemishes and other skin discolorations such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.


• Melasma, a skin pigmentation disorder that results from functional problems with cells that produce and contain the melanin pigment.


• Photosensitivity reactions, which occur as a result of a direct interaction between the sun and a medication that you are taking.


• Skin Cancer - People with brown skin often have a false sense of security when it comes to skin cancer. While individuals with increased skin pigmentation have added protection against the UV rays of the sun, it is dangerous to assume that our darker skin exempts us from this serious skin problem.

Photoaging in Brown Skin

Photoaging refers to signs of aging that occur or intensify due to sun damage. Photoaging in brown skin is more common in those individuals with lighter brown skin of Latin, Asian or African descent. It also occurs in individuals who experience intense sun exposure of long duration. With photoaging, skin discolorations, uneven skin tone and areas of hyperpigmentation (skin darkening in spots or patches) are a prominent feature. Changes in the texture of the skin occur and it often becomes rough to the touch. The skin appears dull and lifeless. These are just a few of the effects of sun-exposure.

Protection against sun damage with the daily use of an SPF product is a critical step in ensuring healthy and beautiful brown skin.