JohnQ
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Sun tanning is the process where skin becomes darker as a result of exposure to sunlight. Some people with dark skin such as American and European black people, Africans, Asian Indians, and Latinos do not tan. The skin color of black people varies from very light to ebony, so the answer to your question is: some black people tan and some do not. To enlighten you on why this is, it is necessary to know the process of how and why skin tans in the sun.
People have different skin colors because of a chemical pigment known as melanin. Melanin protects the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. When we are exposed to excessive sunlight, the melanin already present in our skin darkens and at the same time, more melanin is produced. In addition to the natural darkness of the skin, everyone’s body reacts to the sunlight differently because of genetics. Some light-skinned people have skin that does not darken much or at all. Some light-skinned people only burn without tanning. Others tan rapidly and deeply. It is all a matter of how our genes are programmed to respond to the UV radiation. Black people who do tan, usually do not tan much. The difference may be barely noticeable.
Because black people do not tan much or at all, it is a common misconception that they do not need to wear sunscreen or otherwise protect their skin from overexposure to UV radiation. This is false. Although people with darker skin usually have more protection against sunburns and UV exposure, they can still suffer from harmful effects. Melanoma is a common, and often fatal, type of skin cancer that can be caused by direct, prolonged exposure to UV radiation and everyone is susceptible. Again, the biggest determining factor is genetic history. Some dark-skinned people are more susceptible to melanoma than others and the same holds true for light-skinned people.
 Posted 5186 day ago
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