The importance of sunscreen for darker skin tones

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- When it comes to protection from the sun, it’s not only those with fair skin that should be considering the importance of sunscreen.  

Susan Massick, Assoc. Prof. of Dermatology, at the OSU Wexner Medical Center talked to NBC4’s Jennifer Bullock about the effects of sunscreen and dark skin tones.

"So actually when it comes to skin of color, we have a little bit more melanin in our skin, so we have a darker skin pigment, whether we're Asian, African American, Hispanic,” said Massick. "So, it's a little bit of a myth to assume we don't sunburn, but we can still tan. And again, that's basically sun damage that accumulates with sun exposure and so we want to make sure that we're not assuming that because we don't sunburn, that we won't have some of the effects of ultraviolet light on our skin.  

For more information on the importance of sunscreen for darker skin tones click here and watch Massick's full interview in the video player above.