Africans and African Americans, have very dark or almost black skin, usually dark or black hair and brown eyes. Genetically, this skin type is less susceptible to the UV rays, although their skin can still get burned.

Asians on the other hand have a yellowish skin tone and can have brown or blue eyes but have mostly dark or black hair. Yes, genetics does have its opinion on how we look. The cultural differences are reflected in the skin and the genetic factors play an important role in how well our skin looks, how ‘tough’ it is and how vulnerable it is to certain skin problems.

For example, cultures that have a tendency to body hair, also have a tendency to oily skin and therefore have a potential problem with blocked secretory glands resulting in pimples and other skin problems. On the other hand, the Irish, who have a tendency to red hair and very fair skin, have less of a problem with oily skin, but they do tend to get burned easily and thus stand a greater risk to skin cancers. Similarly the Scandinavians and other central and northern Europeans and Americans.

Below are some generalised characteristics of various skin types from different cultural backgrounds:

Skin Characteristics of people with Anglo-Saxon origins

• Fair, dry thin-skinned
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear earlier
• Burn easily in the sun
• Bruising more obvious
• Increased chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern Mediterranean origins

• Oily, olive dark complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Cartilage tends to droop
• Darker, thicker scars more common
• Wrinkles appear later and in more localized areas
• Skin cancer is rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European origins / German and Scandinavian

• Fair, blue-eyed, blonde
• Thin skin
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear early
• Bruising more obvious
• Greater chance of skin cancer

Skin Charac