On vacation, or not, this column on sun protection concerns you. Even if you never set foot on a beach. Because the sun’s rays can be dangerous everywhere. the details of Géraldine Zamansky, journalist at the Magazine de la Santé on France 5.
franceinfo: The proliferation of skin cancers in recent years is really linked to a lack of knowledge of “sun risk”? Is that why the National Cancer Institute is launching a campaign this week that invites us to stay in the shade?
Geraldine Zamansky: Exactly. The first sentence heard by dermatologists on the announcement of skin cancer is often full of incomprehension: “But, however, I never expose myself to the sun!”. As if hours of bare-chested gardening, for example, didn’t count. Especially when light clouds give a false sense of protection and take away the burning sensation.
In fact, the famous UV, ultra-violet rays, pass through the clouds and damage the cells of the skin without necessarily causing the redness and pain of sunburn. Because our ability to repair is limited, too much exposure eventually leads to the abnormalities that cause cancer.
But the sunburn still reflects a particular aggression?
Yes, of course, especially for children whose skin is more fragile. Pr Stéphane Dalle, dermatologist at the Hospices Civils de Lyon explained to me that at this age, sunburn increases the risk of having melanoma from the age of 30. Melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer. Its number has been multiplied by 5 since 1990.
Apart from children, the most fragile are people with fair skin, those who tan with difficulty, or who have a lot of moles. Even if we have few of them, we must alert ourselves in the event of an irregular appearance or evolution.
You’re still not going to ruin the summer of all those who want to have a less pale complexion, and children who love to build sand castles?
Not at all. But to encourage moderation! You also mentioned the message from the INCA, broadcast on the radio from today: “The shade is the coolest place in summer!”. This message invites us to seek the shade. Especially at times when the sun “beats down” the strongest, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. But on the beach, the parasol is not enough, because of the reflection of the sun by the sand. Preferably add clothes for the youngest. And the famous sunscreen, with at least an SPF of 30 or 50.
So be careful, the two hours of theoretical effectiveness correspond “in the laboratory” to a large quantity almost never applied “in real life”. So if you really are in the sun, including in the mountains or in a garden, don’t hesitate to put it on more often. And to find out how threatening it is, the WHO, the World Health Organization has just created an application, Sunsmart. It tells you the local UV index over the hours, and the level of protection to apply.
>>> The CNIB campaign
The Sunsmart App