2006-09-26 08:24:12 · 16 answers · asked by rere79 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Skin Conditions
Dark skinned people get skin cancer just like white people do. That is completely incorrect.
Who Gets Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer develops in people of all colors, from the palest to the darkest. However, skin cancer is most likely to occur in those who have fair skin, light-colored eyes, blonde or red hair, a tendency to burn or freckle when exposed to the sun, and a history of sun exposure. Anyone with a family history of skin cancer also has an increased risk of developing skin cancer. In dark-skinned individuals, melanoma most often develops on non-sun-exposed areas, such as the foot, underneath nails, and on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nasal passages, or genitals. Those with fair skin also can have melanoma develop in these areas.
2006-09-26 08:26:57 · answer #1 · answered by WiserAngel 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's a myth! Dark skinned people do get skin cancer and everyone is advised to wear sun block on a daily basis. In fact, skin cancer in African Americans and dark Hispanics tends to be worse, even deadly, because by the time we realize there is a "cancer spot", it's fully developed and may be spreading. There was a big report on this early in the summer.
2006-09-26 08:33:16 · answer #2 · answered by JT 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
why do dark skinned people don't get skin cancer?
2015-08-26 10:45:03 · answer #3 · answered by Lorette 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who says they don't??? Skin cancer can affect anyone no matter what their race or skin color. Darker skinned people produce more melanin, a skin pigment and melanin provides limited protection against sunlight. But the more melanin produced, the greater the protection. However, having a dark skin isn't 100% guaranteed protection. It's just that dark skinned people are not at as high a risk as very fair skinned people with light colored eyes.
2006-09-26 08:50:09 · answer #4 · answered by TweetyBird 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Dark skinned people who live in their native countries and who injest native foods, mostly consume coconut in some form or other. Most of the African pacific people who still live and eat a native diet do not have skin cancers, they do not have dentists, they don't have gum dis-ease, they may have a cholesterol count of 600 however they do not have any traces of heart dis-ease, this is because the coconut oil is a natural harmless saturated fat, which is actually good for you.
2006-09-26 14:41:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They do but since the skin is darker it means they produce more melatonin (spelled right?) in their skin and don't get burned by the sun as easily as light skinned people, therefore the risk of skin cancer goes down.
2006-09-26 08:27:02 · answer #6 · answered by pink9364 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Skin Cancer affects people with all skin colors.
2006-09-26 11:47:10 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Melanin is a skin pigment that both makes the skin darker and blocks out harmful UV radiation. Black skin blocks out about twice as much UV as white skin does. It is rarer for dark skinned people to get skin cancer, but it is just as deadly.
2006-09-26 08:28:39 · answer #8 · answered by yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyo 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Because people with dark colored skin have more melon in their skin, which is the body's natural sun block, the melon protects the person from harmful uv rays that cause skin cancer.
2006-09-26 08:29:35 · answer #9 · answered by Tommy 1 · 2⤊ 3⤋
They do, just less often. The increased melanin helps to absorb the damaging portion of solar radiation wihtout ill effect.
2006-09-26 08:26:52 · answer #10 · answered by juicy_wishun 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋