[MMC66]

Ok I feel really silly asking this question but I am curious. Addy is biracial CC/AA and naturally quite dark. I have been using the water babies #45 sunscreen on her whenever we go out. I used the same stuff on my pasty white kids and it worked great. Now Addy hasn't burned but she has a tan line like she was never wearing sunscreen at all. I don't want to overexpose her little baby skin. Why is this stuff working on my other kids but not her??

We were at the pool for an hour and a half this morning. She was wearing a new swimsuit and got three shades darker - I could tell cuz of the new tan lines. Is there anything that works better or should I be satisfied that she isn't getting burned??

Thanks in Advance.
Martha

[mckenna]

good question, i never thought about it. our family has olive type skin and even with sunscreen, always got a tan. my kids are biracial and they also get "tans" through sunscreen, i just assumed it was fine as long as they were wearing sunscreen to keep the harmful rays off and them from getting burned. can't wait to hear what others say!

[leaabc123]

I agree with mckenna. As long as she isn't burning, she should be fine.

[Emeraldgems]

I'm oriental not mixed. My mom always applied sun screen. Just my opinion but I think that of course they should wear sun screen! They may not burn the way fairer people do and I don't know this for a fact, but the sun may be less harmful to them but I still think it's worth protecting your child agains the harmful rays from the sun.

My boys are Eurasian and they don't even get to stick their heads out of the front door before I've applied sun screen! They don't burn either but I'm thinking about the long term harmful effects of not protecting them.

Ironically, hub who is caucasian with pale pinkish skin, light blonde hair and light blue eyes is the only one who ALWAYS forgets to apply sun screen and has to be fought before I can get to apply just a dab of sun screen here and there

[Kat-L]

Originally Posted by Emeraldgems

I'm oriental not mixed. My mom always applied sun screen. Just my opinion but I think that of course they should wear sun screen! They may not burn the way fairer people do and I don't know this for a fact, but the sun may be less harmful to them but I still think it's worth protecting your child agains the harmful rays from the sun.

My daughter is black and definately burns if she doesn't have sunscreen on. The doctor recommended sunscreen with an spf of at least 15. I use an AVON waterproof sunscreen and it works great.

With the huge increase in childhood skin cancers being reported, I agree with Emeraldgems. Protect them from the rays.

[mtlover]

It is the melanin in the skin. People with darker skin tones have more melanin (dark biological pigments) which in turn produces more melanin in the sun.

Sunscreen is definitely needed to keep the skin from burning, and protect from the development of melanoma (cancer).

Kim

[Jensboys]

My boys get very dark, very fast with sunscreen on. And yes, they both burn. But my cc son ALSO gets very dark (but doesnt burn) with sunscreen on.

Jen

[sneezyone]

As an AA woman myself with toffee-colored skin - Yes, we do tan. Yes, we do burn. And yes, sunscreen does help. Sunscreen does not prevent all tanning or sun damage, it simply delays them.

[Colorbind love]

Sunscreen does not prevent sun exposure. If you are out in the sun, you are likely to get sun and end up with tan lines. What sunscreen does is prevent burning and reduce the sun rays that are absorbed into the skin of any person.

Light tanning is not a problem. Most skin cancers are associated with burns, not tanning. Tanning in general can harden the skin and cause aging and wrinkles over time. But, sun exposure is not in and of itself a dangerous thing. In fact, we get many vital things from the sun, especially vitamin D. You don't want to prevent all sun exposure. You just want to reduce the bad effects of the exposure.

Tan lines are appearing because she is in the sun. I slather sunscreen on my pale dds and they show up with tan lines as well. But, the sunscreen is preventing burns and the risks that are associated with them.

[qs mom]

My son is a Bulgarian of Roma heritage. He has dark olive skin - I like to say between Mediteranian and Indian -

Thankfully, this child NEVER burns - which is good, because his pasty, lily white, freckled mama often times forgets the sunscreen.

BUT, his school and daycare, slather it on him. He smells great every day when I pick him up.

I really need to remember the sunscreen more often. I just turned 41 and have 3 spots on my face that my doc is watching to be sure it come up as cancer. And I was NEVER a sun worshiper.

[vegangoddess]

i am a sun screen freak..... i use paba free spf 50 on my AA son...... he still gets darker where his skin is exposed to sun.... especially the back of his neck.......but i just feel it is important to use sunscreen...... while i use a lower spf on myself.... i still am always whereing it, i am cc.

[BethanyB]

I always knew that AA people need to use sunscreen just as lighter skinned people but I too expected the sunscreen to work on my AA son as it works on me. If I were to use a 45 sunscreen I would not get tan AT ALL! I thought it would be the same on him. But my son as gotten SO dark! Just one day in the sun and he comes in so much darker. Interesting. Just as long as he isn't getting burned!

[teranga]

I just wanted to say that not all physicians agree those w/darker skin should wear sunscreen. There is a whole line of thinking, and studies which are supporting it, which suggest that sunscreen should only be put on children (or adults) with darker skin when they are very likely to burn (if they are going to be on a boat all day for example). If they are just going swimming for a couple of hours, and don't burn when they do, they should not wear sunscreen (goes the theory). Here's why:
1. The darker the skin, the more sunlight needed to produce Vitamin D. Though it takes only a few minutes for a pale person to produce enough for a day from the sun, it can take up to 3 hours for a very dark person to produce enough. This is time w/o sunscreen.
2. Sunscreens are made up of chemicals and more chemicals. The long-term risks of absorbing masses of chemicals on a regular basis is arguably as dangerous or more dangerous than regular sun exposure (again, assuming the child does not burn).
3. Most studies do NOT show that sunscreen prevents skin cancer. They show that sunscreen prevents burning, and there has been an assumption that this means the risk of skin cancer declines. Skin cancer rates continue to rise, even with sunscreen. One theory is that if you're not using sunscreen you know when to get out of the sun. If you are using it, you expose yourself much longer than you should, and the dangerous rays causing skin cancer do not appear to be the ones blocked by sunscreen.

I know this is a contraversial issue. There are dermatologists, researchers, etc. who feel very strongly on either side of the argument and both sides think they have evidence to "prove" their case. All I'm trying to say is that there is more than one side to the argument, so if you do some web research you can look into it and draw your own conclusions.

Personally I believe that dark African skin is meant to be able to handle a lot more sun than my fair European skin. I keep my African son out of the midday sun (just as Africans would avoid the sun midday when I lived there) but otherwise I don't worry about it and he doesn't burn. For me, I try to wear clothing that covers my skin rather than slather myself with chemicals. And always wear a hat. Not burning is certainly key, but there are plenty of ways not to burn w/o using sunscreen all the time (time of day, clothing, hats, shade, etc)


Teranga

[MMC66]

I'll get us both into trouble then . My dermatologist shares your opinion. He said only use sunscreen on Addy is we are going to be out for really extended periods of time in midday sun. This is the FIRST I heard of anything like this. She also has eczema and reacts to lots of lotions, fragrances etc. I know from my own experience that eczema gets MUCH better in the sun.

Like anything, there are no clear answers. Just thought I'd back you up cuz I heard the same thing.

Thanks,
Martha

[redhedded]

Personally I believe that dark African skin is meant to be able to handle a lot more sun than my fair European skin. I keep my African son out of the midday sun (just as Africans would avoid the sun midday when I lived there) but otherwise I don't worry about it and he doesn't burn. For me, I try to wear clothing that covers my skin rather than slather myself with chemicals. And always wear a hat. Not burning is certainly key, but there are plenty of ways not to burn w/o using sunscreen all the time (time of day, clothing, hats, shade, etc)

Teranga, Excellent post! This Irish gal is a long sleeve, hat wearing staying in the shade/going out in late evening kind; I generally follow the same practice with both of my kids, though on a rare occasion I use California Baby sunscreen on my 3 year old (would never use on a baby). My father who has had many basil cells removed gets the same advice from his dermatologist.