Ayodele goes on to explain that, yes, it is typically less likely that a black person will get skin cancer compared to a Caucasian person because of their skin’s natural spf of 13. That being said, though, it definitely is still a possibility. What’s more, people of colour are actually more likely to die from the illness if they do get it.

“It’s really down to the fact that we don’t follow the same sun protection methods as a Caucasian person. All skin types and skin colours need sun protection,” she confirms.

Going on to tackle that age-old rumour of ‘black don’t crack’, Ayodele says: “It’s a popular one. While black skin might not show fine lines and wrinkles as early as Caucasian skin, black skin can suffer from stubborn hyperpigmentation and mottled patchy looking skin. Fine lines and wrinkles happen later, but in the meantime there’s other things that are going on as well that do make the skin look aged.”

Noting that some women of colour can be put off from using hair removal lasers, as some of them (such as IPL) can harm black skin and cause discolouration, Ayodele explains that Nd:YAG is a laser especially designed for darker skin and is safe from scarring.

“It has a much longer wavelength that bypasses the skin and so therefore doesn’t actually attack the colour in the skin and goes straight to the hair follicles, which means it’s a much more effective way of removing hair,” she says.

You can watch the full video above.

If you’re a woman of colour who’s struggling to find a skin care professional that’s trained in your needs, check out the Black Skin Directory.

Images: Getty

The dangerous misconception that black skin can't get skin cancer, and other dark skin myths debunked