Too many Britons believe a tan protects them from the effects of the sun, campaigners warn today.
The charity Macmillan Cancer Support says many British people are at risk of sunburn because they believe that having a tan is good protection.
In a new poll of 2,250 men and women, 22% believed a tan will prevent sunburn, and 52% did not realise they could get sunburnt through a window.
This "reveals a shocking picture of unawareness across the UK when it comes to the dangers of the sun", say the research team. "Many people in the UK are putting themselves at risk of skin cancer."
They found that 33% of respondents are using out of date suntan lotion, and 19% have used tanning oil instead of suntan lotion. The poll also showed that 15% are more worried about appearance – for instance uneven tan lines – than the cancer risk of sunburn, and 19% are more worried about pain from sunburn than the cancer risk.
Skin cancer nurse specialist from Macmillan Support, Carol Goodman, said: "This research highlights a very real problem when it comes to British attitudes towards tanning and sunburn. UK skin cancer death rates are amongst some of the worst in the world, and this is largely because many people are still very ignorant about the risks of the sun."
But the risks are very real, she warns. For example, suntan lotion goes out of date after 12 months, and tanning oils have very low Sun Protection Factor (SPF) levels and carry a greater risk of burning.
"It is vital to protect your skin when out in the sun by using sun tan lotion with an SPF of at least 30, wearing sun protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) or staying in the shade between the hours of 11am and 3pm," she adds.
Leave a Reply