# Do I need to wear sunscreen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-wear-sunscreen/459757>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 12, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-wear-sunscreen/459757 "2008-08-12T18:11:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-wear-sunscreen/459757/1 "2008-08-12T18:11:43Z")

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I’ve been having an on-going argument with my wife over the past few months over whether or not it’s necessary for me to wear sunscreen.

I’m a black man with average brown skin (about Kobe Bryant’s complexion). I’m in my 30s, and I’ve never worn sunscreen in my life. I’ve never been sunburned in my life. When I was younger, I spent many summers in Mississippi and Florida, out in the sun all day, yet I never burned.

I always figured the natural melanin in my skin was enough to protect me, but my wife disagrees. She says the sun is stronger now than it was then (though I doubt the sun in NY now is stronger than the sun in FL and MS 15 years ago).

What do you guys think?

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**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-wear-sunscreen/459757/2 "2008-08-12T18:36:04Z")

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[QUOTE=Journal of Drugs in Dermatology]  
Although there is some inherent protection in African-Americans and other darkly pigmented persons, the cumulative effects of ultraviolet radiation with the risks of developing skin carcinomas are the same in all skin phenotypes. This fact … warrants increased awareness and use of sunscreens among African-Americans.  
[/QUOTE]

[Full article here.](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PDG/is_1_6/ai_n19172030)

It sounds like sunscreen is less important for you than it would be for a paler person, but still a reasonable precaution.

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**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-wear-sunscreen/459757/3 "2008-08-12T19:13:22Z")

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Just make her aply it to you. Win-Win.