Patch Blog: Do You Need to Wear SPF if You're Dark-Skinned?

As a skin care specialist, I am asked many questions. One of them I get almost weekly: Isn’t SPF only necessary for skin that burns?

There are two types of rays in the atmosphere during daytime that are dangerous to your skin: UVA and UVB rays, sometimes referred to—for differentiation purposes—as the “Aging” and “Burning” rays. The higher levels of melanin in the skin of those with relatively darker complexions offers some protection—but against only one of the two types: the UVB rays.

As the nickname suggests, UVB rays cause the redness and inflammation associated with sunburn. A fair person will suffer those effects much more quickly, although any skin type can—and does—burn.  Many experts have even linked the development of melanoma on the legs and trunk with childhood instances of sunburn.

The other type, UVA rays, are equally powerful on both cloudy days and sunny ones. These are responsible for direct aging of the skin. They break apart the collagen structure of the skin to cause fine lines, sagging, and wrinkling. They also cause dyschromias—age spots, papulosa nigra (the small, raised black lesions common among African Americans), and acne scars that turn dark rather than fade.

The additional melanin in dark skin offers no protection against these rays. In fact, dark complexions are much more likely to experience skin discoloration.

In short, it is sensible to always protect with SPF or clothing, no matter the season or the color of your skin. Don’t be turned off by choosing the wrong block either. The best choice for darker skin tones is a tinted sunblock, which blends in naturally rather than casting an ashy hue to the complexion.

Stay tuned for local esthetician Vanessa Brunkhorst's weekly beauty column. Check out her pervious blog about mentoring Ricky, the winsome 13-year-old boy who desperately needs to get out of L.A. foster care system now or face a future on city streets.