As the woman was rubbing in the sunscreen, she told the happy client that the sun's harmful rays are "attracted" to dark spots. There was no further explanation. Once the video ended, I went on about my day like normal. But for weeks now, her comment has stayed with me. I had to find out if her statement about the sun being attracted to dark marks was actually based on reality.
The wisdom of the internet has allowed me to understand more about her warning. What I learned was that scars & blemishes don't have the same level of integrity as normal skin. There's a certain level of UV protection available in normal skin that blemished skin lacks. Simply put, acne scarred skin can't protect itself from the sun in the same way that normal skin can.
Here's the kicker, if you have darker skin you typically enjoy greater sun protection...but that don't mean anything if you are dealing with acne scars. In fact, your blemishes will "attract" the harmful rays even more which is why we're prone to hyperpigmentation. If you're a woman of color, you've got to be extra diligent with sunscreen, especially if you have acne prone skin. That's one mistake that I made which cost me lots of time and heartache in the long run.
Warmer weather is just a stone's throw away. For some, that means increased chances of finicky skin and breakouts. If you find yourself dealing with acne this summer, you've got to make sunscreen a top priority. And because some of us sweat during the day, reapplying your SPF might be necessary.
When I struggled with acne, I broke all the rules. I popped pimples and barely paid attention to wearing daily SPF. It's no wonder why I constantly battled with dark blemishes. Now, I'm super disciplined, knowing that any active scarring is like a magnet for harmful rays. This time, I'm armed and ready for battle.
Post a Comment