What causes Indians to sunburn outside of their motherland?

There is a common misconception that dark skinned people don’t get sunburnt. Especially people that have immigrated from warm weather countries, and grew up not using any protection from the sun. But when living outside their motherland – other than sheer irresponsibility and failure to apply Banana Boat, what is really going on that causes Indians to sunburn?

According to health research from Rutger’s University the causes of sunburn include the following:

  • Ultraviolet light is the culprit in sunburn. It is invisible and cannot be felt, yet seventy or eighty percent penetrates water and clouds, and can be reflected off water, sand and snow. As the atmosphere thins at high altitudes, more rays filter through. For these reasons hikers, skiers, swimmers, and beach-goers need to protect themselves from overexposure to sun, and especially from the rays of ultraviolet light.
  • Certain substances can make the skin more susceptible to burning: drugs, such as certain antibiotics and birth control pills, or antibacterial agents in medicated soaps and creams. In addition, many drugs and chemicals are sun-sensitive and may cause allergic-type rash on parts of the body exposed to the sun.

So, question – are Indians just becoming “soft” by adopting new skin regimens that increase the likelihood of sunburn? My cousin did claim he has become more “sensitive” since he moved here. Perhaps the American obsession with beauty and grooming has finally taken its toll. Now that I think about it, I have noticed that his toiletry case, once meager, is now swollen beyond capacity with grooming products. Maybe our mothers were right, perhaps one bar of Chandrika ayurvedic soap for daily cleansing, and Parachute coconut oil treatments on the weekends was enough? Maybe it’s the multitude of products he has now become accustomed to (face wash, face moisturizer, skin toner, body washes, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant) that are causing his skin to be so sensitive.

But that doesn’t explain why as a “foreign return” to India, he burns everywhere else but home. So perhaps it’s the poor air quality and smog that serves as protection? What’s India’s air pollution in comparison to the U.S.?

According to Wikipedia, below are the most polluted world cities by Particulate Matter:

Particulate matter ?g/m³ (2004), City
169, Cairo, Egypt
150, Delhi, India
128, Kolkata, India (Calcutta)
125, Tianjin, China
123, Chongqing, China
109, Kanpur, India
109, Lucknow, India
104, Jakarta, Indonesia
101, Shenyang

If you have any theories on this subject, feel free to share.

Sahana Jayaraman grew up in Mt. Laurel, NJ and currently lives in Tempe, AZ. And yes, she uses sunscreen everyday!