2023-07-15 07:00:00
Around 80,000 skin cancers are diagnosed each year in France. Exposure to solar radiation is the main cause of skin cancer. Carcinomas are the most common skin cancers, melanoma is rarer, but it is the most serious because of its high potential to metastasize. Whether natural or artificial, exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a factor in the appearance of skin cancer. These cross the skin and can cause DNA damage, which is then responsible for the appearance of tumours.
According to Public Health France, more than 80% of skin cancers are the consequence of excessive exposure to the sun. Hence the need to remain vigilant in the face of the sun and to protect yourself from it, but you still need to know the right gestures. READ ALSO What to know about sun allergies
“Car windows protect against sunburn”
Car windows, especially side windows, do not completely filter UV rays: UVB rays, responsible for redness and sunburn, are slowed down, but UVA rays are not. Passengers are therefore not protected from the harmful effects of the sun. “It is recommended to always cover bare thighs during the summer when driving. To avoid the pernicious accumulation of UVA, sunburn, sunscreen must be applied to the face, shoulders, ears, hands, etc. It is surely no coincidence that the inhabitants of the desert cover their bodies. Gradually, it is not impossible that we adopt Tuareg fashion. In summer, the heat is more bearable with long, loose clothing that creates drafts,” advises Dr. Marie Jourdan, dermatologist who hosts a YouTube channel. On the other hand, she does not encourage putting sunscreen on while traveling by plane, even if you are sitting next to the window. To curb UVA rays, it is better to close the window.
« Moisturizing cream with sun protection is sufficient”
If sunscreen is a summer essential, it is also an ally all the rest of the year. UV rays are classified according to wavelength. UVA corresponds to a wavelength of 400 to 315 nm and UVB to a wavelength of 315 to 280 nm. The first are those that penetrate deepest into the dermis and cause pigment spots and accelerate skin aging. UVB rays are linked to sunburn and burns, but both cause cancer. “The moisturizer combined with an SPF is a marketing product. It is better to give preference to a product for each need. The moisturizer, if necessary, must be supplemented with a sunscreen product. They are two different tools, both necessary. Sunscreen is a technical tool, it’s a shield against the sun. All year round, apply your moisturizer and then complete with a sunscreen product at the end of your routine if you go out, especially since you may need to reapply it during the day,” explains Dr Jourdan.
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“Just before going swimming, it is essential to put on sunscreen”
It all depends on the activity in the water. If you have planned a beach volleyball in the water, the cream on the shoulders and on the face is essential. On the other hand, if you get wet just for a few minutes to cool off, wait to get out of the water. But, coming out of your swim, it is essential to recover from the cream even if there are clouds.
“Children only need sunscreen to go to the beach”
Of course not. In summer, children should put on cream as soon as they leave the house. “From an early age, they need to be taught sun avoidance strategies. They must absolutely seek shade, put on a cap, regularly apply cream to what protrudes from the UV t-shirt at the beach, put on sunglasses, not to mention a water bottle, ”lists the dermatologist. .
“SPF 20, SPF 30, SPF 50, the number indicates how often the application should be reapplied”
The figure is indeed a multiplier but not that of the frequency of application of the sunscreen product. If, in normal times, a person develops a sunburn after five minutes of exposure, an SPF 50 multiplies this time. Precisely, he multiplies it by 50 or 250 minutes before having a sunburn once the cream has been applied. Generally, it is recommended to put on sunscreen every two hours and not to forget any area (ears, nose, tops of the feet, etc.). READ ALSO “In 2025, mortality from lung cancer will exceed that of breast cancer in women”
“In drugstores or supermarkets, all sunscreens are equal”
Sunscreen is a cosmetic product subject to certain standards but it is not considered a medicine, so it is governed by less strict rules. “For safety, I recommend going to a parapharmacy and choosing a cream from a known laboratory. Take the one with the highest SPF because, to benefit from real protection, it would be necessary to apply at least two phalanges”, underlines Dr Jourdan. The ANSM indicates that it is necessary to apply at least 2 mg of cream for each square centimeter of skin.
The dermatologist reminds us of the need not to reuse her tube from the previous year. “Filters lose their effectiveness and can even become dangerous to health, the smell also changes. Regarding the galenic, I do not recommend mists because aerosols are very volatile and at the slightest gust of wind, part of the product is lost”, warns the specialist. Before completing: “Also be careful with organic products which are not synonymous with good tolerance and good efficacy, these are different objectives as a consumer. »
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“It is important to prepare your skin for the sun before summer”
“You never prepare your skin for the sun. It would be like saying that you don’t put on your seatbelt to prepare for a car accident, it’s absurd. Exposure to the sun should always be gradual but you should expose yourself as little as possible. Sunscreen is only a protective crutch,” insists Dr. Jourdan. The appearance of a sunburn is a warning signal from the body. “The peeling is skin necrosis, the skin leaves to get rid of mutated cells, future cancers. If there were no sunburn to ring the alarm bell, it would be catastrophic for the skin, and that’s what happens in UV cabins. »
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