Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025

‘I thought being black meant I couldn’t get skin cancer’

‘I thought being black meant I couldn’t get skin cancer’

When Isser Nener was in her late 20s, she was diagnosed with skin cancer.

"I found a little mole on the back of my leg. I was on holiday with a friend and they were like: 'You have to have that mole checked'," she says.

"So I went to the doctor's and they removed it straight away. And a week later they said it was skin cancer. Obviously I was quite shocked and upset."

She was surprised because she had believed a long-perpetuated myth that high levels of melanin in black skin meant it could not be damaged by the sun.

"I actually thought that when you've got black skin or dark skin, you can never get [skin cancer] and you don't need to wear sunscreen because you feel like you're a bit protected. But obviously, now I know that skin is skin and you can still get it," says Isser.

Five years later, the cancer came back. "Luckily, again, I caught it early, I didn't have to have any chemo. They just had to remove one of my lymph nodes." Now, 10 years later, she's still clear of the cancer.

Isser had never used sunscreen when she was growing up and is now working with Cancer Research UK to warn others not to make the same mistake.

The organisation reports that melanoma skin cancers are less common in Asian and black people than in white people.

But Dr Ophelia Dadzie, a consultant dermatologist, says that when they do occur in black people they tend to be "much more aggressive and tend to be detected at a later stage".

Dr Dadzie points to reggae star Bob Marley, who discovered a patch of pigmented skin that turned out to be malignant melanoma, which he later died from.

"In terms of looking at your skin, you should look at your whole skin," she says.

"But, particularly for individuals who have darker skin, people should not forget to look at the soles, the hands, the palms and the nails."

She describes patients who thought that they had warts on the soles of their feet, but these turned out to be skin cancer.

Unpicking the myth about black skin being immune to the sun's rays, Dr Dadzie says the misconception probably grew out of the fact that black people have higher amounts of melanin than people with other skin tones.

"Within the community, it's sort of that whole idea of 'black don't crack' or people saying: 'I'm from the hot country, I'm OK in the sun,' that has become embedded within the community, because we have melanin," Dr Dadzie adds.

Melanin is the pigment that makes skin darker but it has other properties too - it is an "inherent natural sun protection", she says. "It sits in the cells of the skin and protects from UV damage and UV-induced changes to the DNA etc.

"The melanin will actually protect from that… but it's not 100% protection from the sun."

And she warns that it's not just skin cancer that people need to think about.

"For dark skin, a lot of the conditions I see are elated hyperpigmentation. Now, what people don't realise is that sun UV drives the hyperpigmentation."

Hyperpigmentation is where darker patches of skin develop and can be caused by excess melanin production.


So what do you do when you're in the sun? Dr Dadzie's advice is: "The British Association of Dermatologists has a three-pronged protection plan - shade, clothing, and sunscreen.

"So you can protect your skin with clothing, including a hat. You make use of sunglasses as well, with UV protection. Make use of shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun's UV rays are strongest.

"Then when you choose sunscreen, you want to use one with a minimum SPF of 30 and good UV protection, but the higher SPF, the better.

"It's also helpful to have products within it, which give you protection from visible light, because visible light can also cause hyperpigmentation.

"Make sure the sunscreen is water resistant and that you're reapplying that SPF every two hours as well, that is very important."


Tips for staying safe in the sun


*  Cover up

*  Wear sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 but the higher the better

*  Use sunscreen that is broad spectrum, UVA and UVB, and is water resistant

*  Reapply sunscreen every two hours

*  Take shelter in the shade regularly

*  If you notice anything worrying contact your doctor

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
×