‘I thought because I’m black I couldn’t get skin cancer’

“I found a small mole on the back of my leg. I was on vacation with a friend and he said, ‘You need to check this mole,'” he says.

“So I went to the doctor and they removed it immediately. A week later I was told I had skin cancer. I was shocked and very upset.”

She was surprised because she believed in a long-perpetuated myth: that black skin’s high levels of melanin protected it from the sun.

“I used to think that if you have black or dark skin, you can’t have [câncer de pele] and you don’t need to use sunscreen because you feel a little protected. But obviously now I know, skin is skin and anyone can get the disease,” says Isser.

Five years later, the cancer returned. “Fortunately, I re-identified in time and didn’t have to do any chemo. They only had to remove one of my lymph nodes. [gânglios linfáticos, pequenos órgãos que fazem parte do sistema linfático].”

Now, ten years later, she is still disease-free.

The myth

Isser never used sunscreen as a child, but today she warns other people of color not to make the same mistake through her work at Cancer Research UK, a British cancer research organization.

The organization says that melanoma-type skin cancers are less common in Asians and blacks than in whites.

But doctor Ophelia Dadzie of the British Association of Dermatologists explains that when they occur in black people they tend to be “much more aggressive and tend to be detected at a later stage”.

Dadzie gives the example of reggae star Bob Marley, who discovered a patch of pigmented skin that turned out to be malignant melanoma, from which he later died.

“When examining your skin, you should look at all of it,” explains the doctor.

“Particularly people who have darker skin should not forget to look at the soles of the feet, hands, palms and nails.”

The doctor cites patients who thought they had spots on the soles of their feet, who ended up being diagnosed with skin cancer.

Debunking the myth that black skin is immune to the sun’s rays, Dadzie says the misconception likely stemmed from the fact that black people have greater amounts of melanin than people with other skin tones.

“Within the community, there are people who say, ‘I’m from a hot country, I’m fine in the sun’, which has become embedded in the community, because we have more melanin,” adds Dadzie.

Melanin is the pigment that makes skin dark, but it also has other properties: it’s a “natural sunscreen,” she notes. “It stays in skin cells and protects from UV damage and UV-induced DNA changes.”

“Melanin really does protect, but it doesn’t offer 100% protection from the sun.”

The doctor also warns that it is not just skin cancer that people should think about.

How to protect yourself from the sun?

“In dark skin, one condition I see often is hyperpigmentation. Now, what people don’t realize is that the sun’s UV rays cause hyperpigmentation.”

Hyperpigmentation happens when darker spots develop on the skin, which can be caused by excess melanin production.

So, what to do when we’re in the sun? Dr Dadzie’s advice is: “The British Association of Dermatologists has a triple protection plan: shade, clothing and sunscreen,” she says.

“That way, you can protect your skin with clothes, including a hat. Also wear sunglasses with UV protection. Look for shade between 11 am and 3 pm, when the sun’s UV rays are strongest”, recommends the doctor.

“When choosing a sunscreen, you should use one with a minimum SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30, with good UV protection, but the higher the SPF the better. Make sure the sunscreen is waterproof and reapply the sunscreen every two hours, this is very important.”

Tips for protecting yourself from the sun

• Protect yourself with clothes and a hat
• Use sunscreen with SPF 30 at least, but the higher the better.
• Use broad-spectrum, UVA and UVB, and water-resistant sunscreen
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours
• Take shelter in the shade regularly
• If you notice anything concerning your skin, see a doctor.

This text was originally published here