eli5: Do people with darker skin have to wear sunscreen?

Question

I heard the UV cause skin cancer, I’m a brown guy and never wear sunscreen, does that mean I have a higher likelihood of getting skin cancer?

In: 159

Answer 1

Non-white people have just a skin cancer risk. Just, a normal risk. It’s the extra pale gingers who have an extra special, elevated risk. That means they’ll get skin changes even if they’re not in direct sunlight. Then they have to get a wide area of skin removed. If your risk is 50% less than someone else’s, it is still a risk that is nowhere near zero.