Are dark-skinned people really protected from ultraviolet radiation?
BACKGROUND
Premature ageing of the skin (photoageing) results from the action of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on skin. One of the histopathological findings of photoageing is the presence of solar elastosis in the dermis. Skin pigmentation is protective against UVR.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of solar elastosis in dark-skinned people.


METHODS
Normal facial skin biopsies of 147 dark-skinned and 140 light-skinned people were examined histopathologically for solar elastosis. The degree of solar elastosis was graded on a five-point scale by a panel of dermatopathologists blinded to patient demographics.


RESULTS
There were 112 of 140 (80%) light-skinned and 50 of 147 (34%) dark-skinned patients with high-grade solar elastosis. In the dark-skinned patient group, high-grade solar elastosis was seen in 29 of 61 (47.5%) Hispanic and 5 of 49 (10.2%) African American subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Dark-skinned people are not completely protected from the effects of UVR.
Young
A L
AL
Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Levy
S
S
Nighland
M
M
Grossman
R
R
Silvers
D N
DN
Celebi
J T
JT
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays