Sun protection through clothing, avoiding the midday sun and sunscreen are important protection against skin cancer. But some people are too lazy to put on sunscreen.
Germans are the least likely to use sunscreen in Europe: two out of ten people in Germany go without it. In Switzerland and Austria, it is only one in ten. In France, 20 percent of those surveyed skip sunscreen and in Italy, 14 percent. This is the result of a .
The reasons why people in the DACH region, France and Italy do not use sunscreen vary. Certain national tendencies can be identified: the French want to save money (21.6 percent), the Swiss are disgusted by sunscreen (35.3 percent), in Austria 30.4 percent of those surveyed cited health concerns and the Germans (32.4 percent) simply think it is too inconvenient. It is not a good idea to forgo sunscreen out of sheer laziness: the sun’s UV rays not only accelerate skin aging, but can also change the genetic makeup of skin cells in such a way that skin cancer can develop even decades later, reports the . Conversely, not using sunscreen increases your own risk of skin cancer.
Sun protection: What you need to consider
Anyone who wants to protect themselves from UV radiation should stick to a simple formula, advises dermatologist Yael Adler in an interview with star: “Avoid, dress, apply sunscreen.” We should take a siesta at midday rather than basking on the beach in the blazing midday sun. Clothing is also an effective protection against the sun’s rays. Tightly woven and dark fabrics are the best protection. All areas of skin that are not covered by clothing should be covered with sunscreen.
Sustainable sun protection plays an important role – especially at a young age. A study in Rhode Island shows that anyone who has been sunburned five times before the age of 20 is at a higher risk of developing skin cancer: the risk is 80 percent higher than for people who have not been sunburned in their first 20 years of life. But the same applies to the rest of our lives: the skin does not forget UV radiation. Every ray influences the development of melanoma. Sunscreen is therefore important in everyday life and not just on days at the beach.
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Sunscreens and their filters
Sunscreens are based on different filters. There are sun creams with chemical (soluble) and mineral (insoluble) filters. The soluble filters absorb UV radiation and emit it as heat radiation. The insoluble filters, such as titanium or zinc oxide, absorb UV radiation and scatter or reflect it, writes the . Important: A sun cream should protect against UV-B and UV-A radiation. The latter must be specially labeled. According to the YouGov survey, those who use sunscreen in Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland use a high sun protection factor.
The sun protection factor indicates how long the sunscreen protects against UV-B rays, the . The duration of protection provided by the sunscreen is easy to calculate: for people who get sunburnt after ten minutes without sunscreen, the skin’s protection against UV-B rays is extended to 200 minutes with SPF 20. The formula is: SPF x 10 = time in minutes that you can stay in the sun. However, it is better to only use two thirds of the time – in the example, around 120 minutes.
To ensure that the sunscreen is effective, you should not be too sparing: a person who is 1.80 meters tall needs three tablespoons of sunscreen to be protected from UV rays from head to toe. And you should apply the cream 20 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun to be well protected.
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
