• doggle@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m no expert, but I think it’s got something to do with prolonged exposure to the sun

      • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        But melanin is a shield for it, and the more melanin the darker the skin. As black people usually have a very dark skin, they have a lot of melanin and thus are way more protected against the sun than the average 60 yo fat guy that’s sunburnt red

            • Kalothar@lemmy.ca
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              1 year ago

              To answer yours question Melanin adds a resistant factor to it, but the actual sunburn is caused by actual damage at the cellar level from UVA and UVB rays.

              Think of Melanin more like sunblock in that it extends the amount of time before noticeable damage to the sun will happen. While the time for sun damage to accumulate to be what you would call a sunburn might vary from person to person, everyone is still susceptible to UV damage.

        • maaj@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Black people don’t “usually have very dark skin” we basically have a whole damn rainbow of skin tones. I couldn’t let the overgeneralization rock.

        • DeepFriedDresden@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Anybody can get a sunburn. The melanin in the darkest skin tone only gives a baseline SPF of around 10. While they are far less likely to get burns, it’s still possible and when they develop skin cancer it’s usually diagnosed in a later stage with a negative prognosis.

          Sunburns are radiation burns, and doesn’t have to include red skin to be present.

        • Chetzemoka@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          It works the same way it works for anyone else who is in direct sunlight for too long. Black people can get melanoma too.

          “All skin tones are susceptible to sun damage. Sunburn will cause darker skin tones to go darker, and the skin will feel hot and painful to touch. While darker skin tones are less likely to burn, almost anyone can get sunburnt or develop skin cancer.”

          https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326378

          • CertifiedBlackGuy@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            A part of me knows this is true, but I’ve never gotten sun burned.

            My sisters and mom have, but myself and my dad haven’t.

            Can’t wait for that skin cancer to sneak up on me ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

            • Chetzemoka@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              Hahaha, yeah. The black kids at the summer camp I volunteer for always think it’s funny when I’m chasing them with sunscreen in my hand too. Luke seriously though, y’all, have you ever burnt the tops of your ears?? Trust me, don’t find out.

      • BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Sun poisoning?! First 5G now this! I’m just gonna wrap my whole body in tinfoil!

        I am baked potato man and this is my origin story.

  • maaj@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’ve had that happen to me once, fuckin around and floating in the pool with no sunblock on because “I don’t need it, I’m black”. Mf, let me tell you, I freaked the FUCK out when my skin started to peel.

      • maaj@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Another comment here said something to the effect of “black people a get +10 spf perk”, we can just go with that? I was like 12 when it happened so I didn’t really take a mental note of how long it took, I was more concerned with figuring out how to be as still as possible.

        Edit: and that comment said the spf +10 only applies for the darkest skin tones. I’m like milk chocolate bordering on caramel, let’s just say imma burn up under the circumstances you provided.

  • bunnyknuckles@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Please wear sunscreen. While black people are less likely to get skin cancer they are much more likely to die from it if they do get it. Love, your ginger cousin.

  • Kyyrypyy@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    To be fair, the skincolour technically does two jobs; while darker skin protects you better from sunburn, the lighter skin also absorbs vitamin D from the light (and darker skin also protects ou from getting too much of that D). That is why the skincolour gets lighter, the more north you go, as the sun does not provide as much said vitamin.

    Why am I mentioning this, well, the traditional bane of nordic hemisphere people is depression due to the lack of said vitamin D, during the time the sun just don’t come up, so if anyone with a darker skintone migrates here: remenber to supplement that extra D, because even the pale snowpeople have issues getting enough naturally.

  • Sibelius Ginsterberg@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    I had a very awkward conversation a while ago, when I (milk with a drop of coffee) had to tell the mother of one of my pupils ( coffee with a drop of milk) that he should use sunscreen, because he could get sunburn too. She was nice about it, but I felt kinda weird.