CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's time for the pool, beach, and the lake with the warm weather in full swing, people are heading outside and enjoying summer activities. We want to remind you don't forget that sunscreen!
There are some misconceptions about sunscreen that we are clearing up.
OUR SOURCES:
THE QUESTION:
If you have darker skin, do you need to wear sunscreen at all?
THE ANSWER:
Yes, if you have darker skin, you should still wear sunscreen.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Darker complexions are more protected against skin cancer. So the frequency of getting skin cancers and the brown and black community is going to be far smaller than people who have fair skin," Dr. Daniel said.
Daniel tells us though skin cancer is less prevalent in people with more melanin, the sun can still cause aging and damage.
"So even brown or black skin can get more aggressive sun damage, the more that they're exposed," Daniel said. "So I tend typically just say, for everyone for that simple fact, it is useful and helpful to you know, maintain that aspect of skincare."
THE SECOND QUESTION:
Can a bad Childhood sunburn increase the risk for melanoma?
THE ANSWER:
Yes, a bad childhood sunburn can increase your risk for melanoma.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Dr. Piliang tells us that childhood sunburn can actually increase the risk for skin cancer.
"Studies have shown that most of our sun exposure happens in childhood," Dr. Piliang said. "We're running around outside playing, we're playing sports, we're outside a lot, and that's when we get a lot of our sun exposure, so it's really important to think about sunscreen and protection at a very young age."
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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