They never wear sunscreen. that’s what they risk

For some, coming back from vacation without a tan means having a bad vacation. However, the darker the skin tan is when you return from vacation, the more it is a bad omen. “Most people think that a tan is a sign of good health, when it’s just the opposite. In fact, it is a sign of skin distress,” recalls Dr. Marie Jourdan, dermatologist and member of the French Society of Dermatology (SFD). Indeed, “tanning is the skin’s defense mechanism against the sun. When it gets damaged and suffers damage from UV rays, it triggers an increase in the production of pigment cells, which is what’s called a tan,” he explains.

Despite preventive campaigns against the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays for more than 25 years, Public Health France notes that sun protection recommendations are not always followed by the population and that false beliefs still circulate (1). “We’re still under the umbrella of a society that highly values ​​tanning,” laments Dr. Jourdan, sending out a beauty tip for tanned skin. While summer and high temperatures are in full swing, a little reminder of what these hours of swimming at the beach affect our health.

• Short-term effects: beware of sunburn

If there is one harmful effect of the sun’s rays that the French know and fear, it is sunburn. More than two-thirds (70.9%) of them specifically use sunscreen to avoid them, according to a recent national survey by Pierre Fabre Laboratories (2). Indeed, the visible and unpleasant effects of a burn make it difficult to ignore. “In the first stage, a small painful redness appears. In the second stage, the skin peels and small blisters appear on it. If you tan again in this area, you will get a new tan in the same place,” warns Dr. Oliveres-Ghuti, a dermatologist in Paris and a member of the National Syndicate of Dermatologists and Venereologists (SNDV), noting that “Mestizo skin can also get tan.” :

If the physical discomforts they cause seem temporary, their effects, however, have many long-term consequences. “Sometimes, when you got a sunburn on some parts of your body as a child, 10 years later brown age spots appear in those places. This proves that the skin has been damaged and can no longer be repaired,” warns Dr. Oliveres-Ghuti, adding that cancer can develop in the worst case, regardless of skin type.

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• Long-term effects: skin aging

It makes no sense to invest in expensive “Anti-aging” creams all year round if you plan to stay in the sun all summer. The ultimate elixir of youth is found above all in SPF treatment. It is an actual problem in our country, as 40% of French people say they use a sunscreen to fight premature aging, with a clear female predominance (53.5% of women vs. 27.9% of men). in return) (2). Indeed, “the sun’s UV rays penetrate deep into the skin, cross the skin barrier and reach the dermis. They create free rays and destroy healthy cells, including skin collagen and elastin-producing cells, the dermatologist explains, thus promoting aging and its symptoms. over time, brown spots and wrinkles appear, the skin weakens, thickens and lacks elasticity. Moreover, “as soon as you see that pigment spots appear on the neck, the back of the hands or the face, it means that you have started your solar capital,” declares the specialist.

• Long-term effects: skin cancer

Some have chosen to deliberately ignore it, others are skeptical, but the facts are there. In France, 85% of skin cancer cases are due to “overexposure to UV rays,” according to a report by Public Health France (1). “This figure has been constantly increasing for 30 years,” laments Dr. Oliveres-Ghuti, adding that “the risks are the same for combination skin.” However, only 46% of the general population say they use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer (2).

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and the most common form of all cancers, says the Skin Cancer Foundation. “Melanoma is also caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Or an existing mole changes its appearance and turns into cancer. Or, it’s a new one that appears on healthy skin and that doesn’t look like the others,” describes Dr. Oliveres-Ghuti.

To avoid each of these consequences in the short term and in the long term, the dermatologist reminds that it is not recommended to be in the sun between 11 am and 4 pm, and that it is necessary to apply sunscreen with an SPF50 index every two hours. spend time outside.

(1) Public Health Report France, 2018.
(2) “Sun protection issue. rock Fabr shows why recommendations are so poorly followed“, 2023