Sun protection is essential for any person with skin. That means everyone, regardless of skin tone. Beyond the potential for skin damage, sun spots, wrinkles, and fine lines, sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, so much so that the CDC estimates one in five Americans will develop the disease in their lifetime. While the basics of sun safety are, well, basic—apply your SPF daily, re-apply, and seek shade from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.—there’s a lot of sun care information that’s not so straightforward.
Like: Do my freckles mean I have sun damage, or am I just freckly? Why do I always get tan, even when I go through sunscreen at a rapid rate? Do I really need to apply sunscreen to my hair? These questions may seem flippant on their own, but the more we know about the sun and how it affects us, the better we can protect ourselves from the very real risks and damage that come with it.
