There is a great misconception that dark-skinned people do not risk anything at all, being in the scorching sun, and the phrase "black man sunbathes" has even become such a short anecdote. And few people know that skin color does not so much protect its owners from sunburn, blacks not only sunbathe, but can even burn out.
How tanning occurs
The tanning color of human skin is given by the colorant melanin, which is produced by the human body as a protection against the effects of ultraviolet radiation. Melanin is formed in every person, with the exception of albinos. But its quantity strongly depends on belonging to a particular human race. In light-skinned people, melanin cells are rather small and have a low density. Increasing both parameters makes the skin darker. We can say that Africans produce 2 times more melanin than, for example, Scandinavians.
For dark-skinned people planning prolonged sun exposure, it is imperative to use sunscreen.
Dark skin tans too
However, the assertion that black people are better protected from harmful sun radiation and thus do not risk skin cancer at all is fundamentally wrong. Purely visually, the difference between tanned and unburned blacks may not be so noticeable. Moreover, only a small part of the population of African descent can boast of an absolutely black skin color. In the bulk, their color type varies from dark brown to the shade of "coffee with milk". And if a European and an African spend the same amount of time under the sun, the first will have time to get a fairly severe burn, while the second will only become half a tone darker. That is, it will light up.
Dangerous sunburn
However, for dark-skinned people, the sun can become even more dangerous than for their fair-skinned counterparts. On the one hand, they also have light skin areas that can burn without protection. First of all, we are talking about the feet and palms. Secondly, it is the dark color of the skin that does not allow to recognize the sudden melanoma in time. If a white person, seeing such an education, immediately goes to the doctor, the dark-skinned person is missing precious time simply because he does not even suspect that he is seriously ill, and continues to be further exposed to lethal radiation.
Blacks are 10 times less likely to develop skin cancer, but the percentage of deaths among representatives of this race is disproportionately high.
Dark skin can burn too
Therefore, we can say that blacks not only sunbathe, but they are quite capable of being sunburned or even getting skin cancer. That is, a dark skin color is not an absolute protection against the harmful effects of sunlight.
