Finding Out Dark People Actually Do Need Sunscreen

I used to think that sunscreen was mostly for people who had fair skin. And even though I consider myself well-versed in skin care, I still believed that if you were black, the sun would not affect you as much. So I wore sunscreen sometimes, but not all of the time. I thought it was just fine if I skipped wearing sunscreen for a day or a couple of weeks. And that's just what I did. I never felt guilt or vulnerable underneath the hot sun each day.

I was even told by a very good friend that sunscreen had so many chemicals in it that I should choose to wear a hat instead. Unfortunately, I didn't have any hats so I chose to just go without sunscreen instead. Surely the fact that I wore makeup, supposedly a barrier to the environmental elements, I would be okay. Dark people have a pigment in their skin that protects them from the sun so I thought I didn't need all of the extra assistance of sunblocks and sunscreens. I couldn't have been more wrong.

What happened to me? Well I didn't get cancer, and I didn't get sunburned. I got blemishes, and all of my life I had been known as “ the girl with pretty skin.” I looked in the mirror one day and closely examined my skin to fine small blackish circles. First, there were about three that appeared two years ago. Then, when I got lazy with sunscreen again, I saw another one appear. Then the worse came. I saw a fine line appear on the side of my nose, and in that same spot, my skin had discolored a little. This all was hard to take because, like I said, I always had beautiful skin. Now, I was in my early twenties, lined and discolored.

I ran to the internet to find that just about any skin ailment, from fine lines to blotchy skin can be linked to the sun. The key advice I found was to wear sunscreen. Now I wear sunscreen everyday, and I am not seeing all of the affects of the chemicals that are in it. But I do not see any more dark circles appearing. I also have not seen more fine lines. However, I do wish that the fine line by my nose would disappear. But as I wait and watch for it to leave, it serves as a gentle reminder: Dark people need to protect themselves from the sun too.