Skin Cancer Prevention Tips for People With Dark Skin

A few other things to keep in mind: Although it can occur on any toenail, ALM has a tendency to develop on the big toe, according to the AIM at Melanoma Foundation. Pay close attention to any narrow dark streaks in a nail not caused by an accident. On the surface of the foot an ALM lesion could be flat, even as the tumor grows deep into the skin. The Foundation also cautions that thickening ALM is sometimes mistaken for a plantar wart on the sole of the foot and can make walking painful. 

Keeping a close watch on your own body parts is critical, but if you use a manicurist or pedicurist, they can also be helpful in spotting abnormalities on your hands and feet, and under the nails. 

Find a dermatologist who understands dark skin. A 2023 study found 69.5 percent of participants in an online study of communities of color regarding the care of their skin and hair did not believe most dermatologists are trained to treat darker skin tones. But various institutions and individuals are working to change that. The Skin of Color Society is a member organization with a directory of physicians and board-certified dermatologists promoting awareness in skin-of-color dermatology. And there are a growing number of academic “ethnic skin centers” in the U.S., which focus on the care and research of conditions common among persons of color, preparing residents to treat skin of color, and educating the medical community and public. In 2020 researchers identified 15 formal skin of color centers in the U.S. working to expand access to culturally competent care for diverse patient populations. 

Protect your skin from the sun. Recognizing that Black people tend to get melanoma on body parts that solar rays don’t typically reach is important, but dark-skinned people still must protect themselves from direct sunlight. Even the darkest skin has a natural sun protection factor (SPF) of only 13, according to the Dermatology Education Foundation—while the American Academy of Dermatology recommends correct consistent use of broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. 

For some people of color, sunscreen is a hard sell. “The acceptance of sunscreen use by people with skin of color has been at least in part affected by challenges finding sunscreen formulations that do not leave a visible cast,” Alexis says. Sunscreen can manifest on darker complexions as a white overtone that makes skin look like a powdered doughnut—but some are better than others in this respect. In a CR evaluation, 59 people with olive to deep-brown complexions were asked to judge the look and feel of 16 sunscreens on their skin. The participants found several products that absorbed quickly and did not make their skin look chalky or ashy, including these: