JABAR EKSPRES — Dermatologist, Dr. I Gusti Nyoman Darmaputra, said that people with mature and dark skin are more resistant to extreme heat than fair-skinned people.
“Mature or dark skin tends to be more resistant to heat, because naturally there are melanin cells (pigments that give color to the skin, hair, and eyes) from melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) as a protective sunscreen,” Darmaputra said, in Jakarta, on Thursday (27/4).
Darmaputra, who is also the owner of the skin and beauty specialist clinic DNI Skin Center, said that fair-skinned people are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme hot weather.
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“The short-term effect is sunburn or sunburn, on the skin the signs are redness, stinging, and can even blister exactly like a burn, and if the intensity of heat exposure is high, for example during the day, these effects can appear, especially in people with fair skin,” he said.
He said that what differentiates the level of heat resistance between white or Caucasian skin and dark skin is the number and size of melanosomes (melanin-producing sites).
“In dark-skinned people, melanosomes will produce more melanin pigment so that when exposed to heat, brown skin will darken first,” he said.
Whereas white-skinned people tend to produce less melanin pigment, so when exposed to heat, the melanin that protects cannot be maximized. When exposed to heat, their (skin) tends to be red and burnt.
Darmaputra also advised the public to maintain skin health during extreme heat, by using standard protection such as umbrellas or hats and avoiding going outside when the sun is hot if it is not necessary.
“In addition, people are also advised to routinely use sunscreen,” he said.
Previously, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said unusual atmospheric dynamics were one of the causes of Indonesia experiencing hot temperatures in recent days.