Skin that is darker already has sun damage? Some people need to get their facts staight, because I'm tired of the sun being the scapegoat for skin cancer! Excessive burning could be linked, but it is not proven. Tanning "alone" WILL NOT give you skin cancer. What COULD be proven to cause skin cancer, BUT NOT RESEARCHED because it would be detrimental to overall greedy consuming economy? Hair products, skin creams, makeups, deodorants, chemicals in the air. Where as, tanning your skin responsibly will not cause cancer. Your skin becomes darker as a protective measure. Why do you think others are darker closer to the equator? EX (Mexico, South America, Africa) It's not coincidence that people in these areas are naturally darker. Over time, we adapt to our environment, and the darker skin acts as a defensive mechanism. A majority of our "mutt" American culture did not desend from these areas. In turn, most of us have fair skin.
Let me re-phrase because I think you misunderstood the comment. Skin that is dark because it has been exposed to sun and tanned is what I meant. And tanned skin, though considered beautiful by some, is skin that has experienced damage from the rays of the sun. A tan is a sign of damaged skin. That comment did not refer to African Americans. Most people still assume only a sunburn is a sign of sun damage. A tan is a sign of sun damage too.
My only comment about African Americans is that because their skin may be darker - some assume no need for the use of sun block or for monitoring hours in the sun. Naturally dark skin is not equal to full protection from skin cancer.
The reason that more African Americans die with skin cancer does not prove that they get skin cancer from the sun. I would quite honestly like to see THE EVIDENCE that says they get skin cancer more than caucasians anyways, but I could careless about that because I made my point. The darker your skin is (Not burned), the more protected it is from the sun. The fact that African Americans, whom are darker to protect there skin, are getting skin cancer more than lighter skinned people, proves more logically that the sun goes not cause cancer! Chemicals that we are exposed to everyday should be researched more. And no, Im not talking about factories that polute. Im talking about the everyday chemicals and products we consume.
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Anonymous,
I don't blame you for not attaching your name to that comment. It is tiresome to have African American people get defensive at EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING they can possibly twist to be racist.
This is an article about tanning, not race. You make us all look ignorant. I am glad to see we are not ignored in research.
In reference to your comment: "I am taking this article as a racial whatever". First, I am not african american. Second, I wasn't swaying or sticking up for "a" particular race, that wasn't my point. Third, my point were the facts. I don't have to restate them, because I made them quite clear. Otherwise, I would have had someone actually refute my claims; instead, I just have someone who insists I am taking the article as a racial slure and chalking up my own opinionated bias. With clear-cut confidence, I can say the article is propaganda, begging to keep its message swaying to the public.
As author of the original posted article let me be clear to this one point. Studies show that a good number of African American and also other groups with darker skin feel somehow protected from the sun. Currently doctors and researchers believe that is an unsubstantiated assumption from a scientific perspective - individuals with dark skin get skin cancers. Not using sunblock that is UVA-UVB protective and exposing yourself to the sun puts you at risk for skin cancers, including melanomas. Surveys and studies seem to indicate this "assumption of dark skin protection" is one explanation for skin cancer statistics among ?African Americans. Is there a possible "genetic or other explanation?" in addition to this safety assumption At this time I am not aware of one.
How sad that we have a erroneous article encouraging the use of sunblock and avoidance of the sun. The sun is the single most important part of anyone's health and we absolutely need unblocked sunlight for optimum health. I need not lecture on the benefits of vit d via sunlight, but I will say that supplemental vit d is not the answer. The body is not designed to absorb vit d via our gastrointestinal system, we are designed to absorb via the skin. Our bodies can regulate the amount of vit d needed, then shut off the absorption.
Sunscreen is the cancer causing element of skin cancer. All the nasty chemicals soak into your skin and into the bloodstream unfiltered, THEN provide a false sense of protection from the sun. UVC rays have no problem going through commercial sunscreens and they're the worst kind.
Sunlight for 15-30 mins per day is ideal, depending on one's skin pigment. Milky white infants like my son need no more than 5 mins per day, while dark African elders might need 45 mins to an hour.
Please google VITAMIN D and CANCER and read the top ten studies before responding back to me with your sunscreen nonsense agenda.
Thanks :)
I suggest you get hold of the Mayo clinic Proceedings and read the latest article entitled Management of Vitamin D deficiency in adults page 752. It will correct your erroneous belief that supplements cannot supply adequate levels of vitamin D. In fact the article also looks at vitamin D2 and D3 supplements - I'm sure you will gain much from the information shared.
I then suggest you re-read my column which suggests that a minimal amount of sunlight is something most people cannot handle because they typically spend longer durations in the sun. I also suggest that the risk of skin cancer is not worth an effort to make sun your only source of vitamin D.
The current skin cancer rates correlate directly to the generations of Americans who decided to "saok in the sun" for a variety of reasons. The risk is not worth the vitamin D benefit from most health professionals perspectives. There are of course, always renegade opinions or simply "other opinions."
I completely disagree with everything you've said. Skin cancer in the US happens to almost 1 million people per year and less than 8,000 die. So you have a .3% chance of getting skin cancer, then if you have it, there's a less than 1% chance it'll be fatal. Skin cancer is a media and corporate driven agenda to get people to buy sunscreen.
Now, sunscreen is the problem. Not only are there many harmful chemicals in ALL sunscreens (including all natural and organic versions) that soak into the bloodstream unfiltered, but sunscreen gives a false sense of protection which allows people to stay out in the sun longer than they should. Also, sunscreen does not protect against the most harmful rays, UVC. Sunscreen mostly blocks out the harmful UVA rays that tan your skin and it blocks out ALL the healthy UVB (vit d) rays.
Our bodies are designed to attain vit d via sunlight, not ingested. Even the mayo clinic agrees with me in that there is no way for the body to regulate vit d levels when ingested, only when attained through sunlight. If you must take a pill, high quality cod liver oil is the best choice. Why anyone would pay to take pills over sunlight is beyond me.
Attaining sunlight in moderation actually protects the skin from skin cancer, assuming you DO NOT wear sunscreen.
Please do some google searches on vitamin d, cancer. How sad that you're spreading this nonsensical corporate agenda when you clearly haven't seen the other side.
Again, I quoted an article to you that is well vetted and you seem to be very interested in information that has medical value. since I took the time to look at the website you quoted to me, and the references you are using since I'm assuming you are not a health professional (my assumption) then it would seem reasonable to ask you to view the article I am quoting from regarding supplements and maintaining vitamin D levels.
Again, I also think consumers and patients can decide to play Russian roulette and use daily sun exposure as a source of vitamin D, knowing they can end up with a deadly melanoma or other skin cancers, or they can use minimal sunlight exposure coupled with foods high in calcium and vitamin D, supplements that are well-regarded and also use weight bearing exercise to maintain bone health. Since medical experts now suggest we all achieve higher levels of D, it is prudent in my opinion and those of other experts to supplement with D.
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Hey there
These are really good points to consider. The one point you mention about the fact that African Americans also being vulnerable to sun damage and skin cancer is especially poignant. I just wrote an article ( African Americans die More from Melanoma than Caucasions) about how, while people with darker skin have less skin cancer overall, by the time they get diagnosed it may be at a more advanced stage. So it is good advice for anyone, regardless of their race or skin color to use sun block when exposed to the sun.
Great article...thanks for writing it!
Thanks for the feedback, though obviously others who are posting did not seem to understand the problem that because African americans have dark skin,l they may assume they have better protection from the sun and be much more cavalier about hours of sun exposure and they may erroneously think that use of sun block is not imperative.