Sun and cancers: the received ideas have the hard skin

Thanks to the prevention campaigns conducted for years, the risks associated with the sun are becoming better known by the general public. Yet advice is not always implemented and false beliefs circulate. This is revealed by the Cancer Barometer 2015 published by Public Health France and the National Cancer Institute (INCa).

This is good news, today 90% of French people know that exposure to the sun is a likely cause of skin cancer. Unfortunately, in practice, they do not protect themselves systematically. Thus, 3 out of 4 people say "burn" during a first exposure and only 4 out of 10 apply cream every two hours.

But ignorance, or rather ignorance of certain dangers, continues to resist. The first misconception (more and more widespread): half of the population believes that "if the sunburns of childhood are well cared for, they are inconsequential in adulthood". This is an error as recalls Public Health France. These sunburns "greatly increase the risk of skin cancer in adulthood and cause damage to the eyes that can lead to serious eye problems".

Moreover, a quarter continues to believe that artificial UV can prepare the skin before the holidays. An absurdity to the extent that they are themselves carcinogenic! Finally, one in 10 French still considers that applying sunscreen only once is enough to protect themselves for the day.

Children better protected

Faced with this dark picture, some good news emerge anyway. If some people are careless for themselves, they are more cautious about their children. Thus, 78% of parents make sure to always wear a hat to their children (but they are only 13% to make sure for themselves). Exposure between 12h and 16h is avoided for 62% of children (and only for 20% of parents).

Remember that exposure to solar radiation is the main cause of skin cancer. The best protection is therefore prevention. To know: to avoid the exposure between 12h and 16h and to look for the shade, to protect systematically the skin of the children, to cover oneself by wearing T-shirt, glasses and hat and to apply generously cream every two hours.

source: DestinationSante

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