It is a statement that has been proved by so many darker skin women such as our late Mrs. Cicely Tyson, or Angela Bassett, or even Alex
Wek… Even though darker skin complexion is known to be stronger and healthier, there is a necessity to maintain that quality with great tips routine and advices from dermatologists.
Does darker skin people have to use sunscreen?
“I explain to my patients of all ethnicities that we can all get photodamage.
We simply show it differently on our skin,” says dermatologist Amy McMichael, M.D. “Those with darker skin tend to show photodamage with hyperpigmentation that worsens over time on the cheeks and lower face. An uneven complexion is the outcome of sun exposure in darker patients.”
The extra melanin does still have its advantages. “Darker skin individuals have more melanin content and are less prone to sunburn and UV damage over time,” says dermatologist Seemal Desai, M.D., president of the Skin of Color Society. “However, it’s still important to wear sunscreen because skin cancer can still happen.” Knowing you should wear sunscreen and actually doing it are two different
things. It’s hard to find a moisturizer with SPF 30+ that blends with darker skin. Anything that’s chalky or pasty can make sunscreen a pain to wear Is it important to start an antiaging regiment early and use it often?
Because of melanin’s ability to defend against UV damage and sunburn, it also protects darker skin tones against the signs of aging like wrinkles, brown spots, and visible blood vessels. So, in most cases dark skin shows wrinkles and age spots a lot later in life. African-American skin also tends to have more oil, which protects against dryness and wrinkling. «African-American skin tends to have more sebum or oil content; some of that contains natural moisturizing factor so all of that can play a role into the look and aesthetics of the skin because it’s less likely to be dry,” says Desai. But that doesn’t mean your skin couldn’t benefit from a little help. Try using a 2% retinol product, which brightens
