Skin Damage in Light-Skinned Individuals Compared With Individuals With Skin of Color

EP: 1.Overview of Skin Damage by the Sun

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EP: 2.Skin Damage in Light-Skinned Individuals Compared With Individuals With Skin of Color

EP: 3.Community Dermatologist and Understanding Skin Damage

EP: 4.Gaps in Understanding Skin Damage by the General Population

EP: 5.FDA regulations for sunscreens

EP: 6.Available Sunscreen products

EP: 7.How to select a Sunscreen for your patient

EP: 8.Importance of Patient Education When Selecting a Sunscreen

EP: 9.Barriers to Selecting Sunscreens

Susan Taylor, MD, FAAD: DNA damage differs from individuals with lighter skin tones, as opposed to individuals with darker skin tones. Individuals with lighter skin tones sustain damage from ultraviolet light throughout the entire epidermis. We know that they’re more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer. On the other hand, individuals with darker skin tones have more melanin in their skin, particularly eumelanin and that is going to allow for minimal damage of those individuals by the sun, particularly in the upper layers of their epidermis. Also, individuals with darker skin tones have greater DNA repair capabilities, so they’re less likely because of the melanin and repair capabilities to develop skin cancer so they’re less likely to have a sunburn. But those individuals with darker skin tones are more susceptible to hyperpigmentation from visible light as well as UV-A1 and that melanin that is contained in their skin becomes very reactive. This can help lead to disorders like melasma.

Transcript Edited for Clarity