Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 9 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 21 years, 3 months ago by
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I have always wondered: Do African Americans get suntans?
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Name : Cassie, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 16, City : Syracuse, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma,Yes, blacks tan just as whites and others tan. However, many of us do not purposely sit and tan, as others do. I’ve always wondered why people lie out in the sun to get darker skin. I just don’t understand it.
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Name : Mike, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College,I have found that I get a suntan a lot quicker than most white people I know. I am brown-skinned, and if I sit or walk outside in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes, I get a noticeable tan that lasts for a few weeks.
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Name : Johnna29336, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 25, City : Ann Arbor, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Librarian, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I don’t agree with the first response. I know many black people who purposely tan. My mother, who is a light-skinned black, is one of them. Also, whites are not the only ones who tan. Most light-skinned people do – just as many dark-skinned people want their skin to be lighter. I believe it’s just ‘something to do’ and/or a change. As far as the initial question, I think it was directed to ‘dark-skinned’ people, and yes, we do ‘tan,’ or get darker. I’m brown-skinned, and in the summer I get a shade darker. I know also that people from hot countries, including the islands, get lighter when they come to the United States to live. Another thing, though: I’ve never noticed a darker-skinned person ‘shedding’ or peeling after getting a tan. I don’t understand why.
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Name : Alea29006, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Caribbean black, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Bronx, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,Everyone tans. I’m tan-colored normally. I get darker in summer, of course, but I don’t sit outside and bake myself. I have burned, blistered and peeled on several occasions – and in the Northern Hemisphere at that. It happened whenever I was so focused on doing something that I didn’t think that perhaps I should get out of the sun for a while. It was terribly painful the last time, so now I get myself sun protection lotion every summer and try to stay out of the sun during the peak times of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone should be carefu because anyone can get sun poisoning.
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Name : Miranda20482, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Catholic, Age : 31, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,unless they burn, everyone(regardless of race) gets darker in the sun
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Name : west-indian-american-female, City : new york, State : NY, Country : United States,Hey everyone! Thanks for understanding when I asked that question… I have always wondered it but then a week after I posted, I saw a commercial on prejudice where an African American woman was asking all these race-oriented questions and one of them was ‘Do Africans tan?’ I felt so bad… I hope I didn’t offend anyone! I was just curious about it and thanks tons to everyone who gave me great answers!
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Name : Cassie32418, City : Syracuse, State : NY, Country : United States,I have a light brown skin tone and yes, I tan easily. However, I also burn and peel. I’m just wondering why you wouldn’t think people with darker skin wouldn’t tan. They tan way more easily than people with lighter skin.
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Name : Lindsey, Gender : F, Race : Bi-racial (white/black), Age : 15, City : Hamilton, Ontario, State : NA, Country : Canada,All people tan, but some do it quicker than others. Also, it’s not only about getting darker skin. There are health benefits. I am a darker-skinned black female and love to tan in moderation. It’s not necessary to be afraid of the sun, just use it with moderation. Vitamin D is a necessary hormone that our bodies produce only when the sun’s rays penetrate our skin. Many people are lacking in vitamin D, but nearly half of our black women are vitamin-D deficient. Many foods do not have vitamin D, and most black women don’t take supplements. Do your research. We need to stop associating things with ‘being white.’ It’s not about that. It’s about enjoying life. Tans on blacks are equally as beautiful. I get compliments on mine all the time. We tend to look at dark skin as a negative. The sun gives your skin this healthy glow, and it truly is therapeutic in cases of depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). But we African Americanss have more melanin in our ski, and we need more sun in order to produce the same amount of vitamin D that whites do (that’s why whites are so fair-skinned up North — their skin has adapted to make it easier to soak in those rays up there where there’s less direct sunlight. Whites need about 15 minutes a day of direct sunlight, whereas darker-skinned blacks need about an hour. The vitamin D can prevent many diseases later in life. So get your adequate levels of vitamin D first, then use sunscreen for protection. Open your minds and try something new. In fact, spend about 20 minutes in the sun just letting your body soak up some rays and see how good you feel the rest of the day. But research it yourself. If you’re as fortunate as I am, you can get your rays at your local beach. That’s a double-luxury with the negative ions that are released from the crashing waves. Love and respect your body, the sun and the skin you were given. It’s a gift, not a curse.
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Name : Raquel, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Orlando, State : FL, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,
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