If you are familiar with North American culture, you may have heard the saying, “Black don’t crack”. Essentially, it means that people of African descent tend to wrinkle less, and rarely look their age, in comparison to those of Caucasian descent. To that end, and although the melanin in darker skins protects it against cellular damage from ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, which is a key contributor to aging, it does not mean that such skin is immune to damage.

However, People of Colour (POC) have been lulled into a false sense of security due to the melanin in their skin, and so tend to be ignorant of their risks of getting skin cancer. In this article, we highlight five things that POC should know and should be doing, to minimise their risks of having, or dying from, skin cancer.

 

1.  People Of Colour Are More Likely To Die Of Skin Cancer

Thanks to the melanin in their skin, skin cancers are less prevalent in POC than in Caucasians. For example, and according to the American Cancer Society, melanoma, once of the more common cancers, occurs in about 1 in 38 for whites, 1 in 167 for Hispanics, compared with 1 in 1,000 for Black people.

Having said this, and unlike whites, who have a 92% survival rate for melanoma five years after treatment, Blacks have a 67% survival rate in the United States (Skin Cancer Foundation). To a considerable degree, the reason for that wide disparity is that skin cancers tend to go undiagnosed in Blacks and Hispanics, and so they are likely to seek treatment when the disease is in an advanced stage, thus increasing their mortality.

 

2.  Skin Cancers Do Not Only Form In Areas Exposed To The Sun

Generally, skin cancers tend to occur on skin that is regularly exposed to the sun. However, they can also be found in rarely exposed areas, such as the hands, feet, buttocks and genitals. Moreover, skin cancers that do not appear to be directly due UV exposure tend to occur more frequently in POC. The more common cancers generally, and among POC, are the following:

• Squamous cell carcinoma, which usually looks like a scaly patch with a raised growth, and is more common in people of African and Asian-Indians descent, and can occur on any part of the body, including those that are not exposed to the sun.
• Basal cell carcinoma, which usually looks like a dark, pearly, almost shiny growth, is more common in people of Hispanic, Chinese, and Japanese descent, and can be linked to too much sun exposure.
• Melanoma, though less common, is a fast-growing and aggressive cancer, and POC tend to have higher rates of this cancer in areas not exposed to the sun.

 

3.  Regular Self-Exams are Crucial

Although the skin is our largest organ, more of us take it for granted, and within the context of skin cancer, that may be the difference between life and death. Rarely do we spend the time to examine our skin, and for POC, unusual changes in colour, texture, etc., may not be immediately obvious. It thus becomes even more crucial to conduct regular examinations of your skin, which you yourself can do, and for areas that you cannot see, do seek the help of your partner or a third party (such as family member, barber or hairdresser).

Ideally, these checks should done monthly – from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, and EVERYWHERE in between. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, things to look for include the following:

• A dark spot, growth, or darker patch of skin that is growing, bleeding, or changing in any way;
• A sore that won’t heal — or heals and returns;
• A sore that has a hard time healing, especially if the sore appears in a scar or on skin that was injured in the past;
• A patch of skin that feels rough and dry;
• A dark line underneath or around a fingernail or toenail.

Essentially, and in examining your skin on regularly basis, you should be able to detect any changes in spots or growth you had previously found, which could be skin cancer. As previously stated, when skin cancers are found and treated early, the recovery and long-term survival rates are high.

 

4.  Always Use Sunscreen

The phrase, “Black don’t crack”, is also used to infer that dark skin does not need to use sun protection – thanks to the melanin in the skin. However, melanin can only protect the skin so much. We all need to be smart about sun protection, which should include the use of sunscreen.

It is advisable to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30, which should be reapplied regularly throughout the day. In terms of application, be generous. Use the equivalent of one teaspoon for face and neck, one for the chest/abdomen, one for the back, one for each arm and two for each leg. Also, remember to apply sunscreen to the ears, back of neck and to the scalp, if bald or if hair is very closely cropped.

 

5.  Be Sun Smart

Finally, and in light of the discussion on skin cancer, it is important to be sun smart. Practices that can be incorporated into daily life, a few of which almost go without saying, include the following:

• Seek shade whenever possible;
• Avoid getting sunburned, as it causes cellular damage, which over time, can lead to cancer;
• Wear clothing – a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, long sleeves, closed shoes, etc. – that protects your skin from the sun; and
• Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when Its intensity is at its greatest.

 

 

Image: Freepik