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I am really confused about my continuous use of sunscreen as an African woman. Here’s why: The body makes vitamin D when sunlight hits the skin. It starts when the skin absorbs rays in the invisible ultraviolet B (UVB) part of the light spectrum. Sunscreen prevents sunburn by

Melanin, the substance in skin that makes it dark "competes" for UVB with the substance in the skin that kick-starts the body's vitamin D production. As a result, dark-skinned people tend to require more UVB exposure than light-skinned people to generate the same amount of

Basically, the darker your skin color, the less vitamin D you produce. This technically means that application of sunscreen could reduce vitamin D levels even more.

Meanwhile, research suggests that women with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of breast cancer. Vitamin D may play a role in controlling normal breast cell growth and may be able to stop breast cancer cells from growing.

Also, according to the American Cancer Society, melanoma is 20 times more common in White people than in Black people. Breast cancer appears to be more prevalent in Black woman than melanoma.

So, from my analysis, is applying sunscreen worth it for dark skinned women?

More thoughts on this.

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