These 3 oft-overlooked body parts where you absolutely need to apply sunscreen

In France, 85% of skin cancers are caused by “excessive exposure to UV rays” from the sun, confirms a report by Public Health France (1). This figure has been increasing every year for more than twenty-five years. This finding is lamented by the National Cancer Institute, which laments the ineffectiveness of current awareness messages and preventive actions in the country, which have not made it possible to stabilize or reduce the incidence of cutaneous melanoma. Indeed, although UV-induced sunburn and premature aging are a threat to the French, only 46% of the general population report using sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, according to a recent study by Pierre Fabre Laboratories (2 ).

Unsuspected areas

Whether you are one of these cautious people or not, it is possible to forget to apply sunscreen on certain areas of the body through simple carelessness or perhaps ignorance. For example, even when you take care to apply SPF cream from head to toe before leaving the house, it is possible that you miss an important place: the tip of the ears. “These are the areas where we see many types of skin cancer appear,” confirms Dr. Oliveres-Ghuti, a dermatologist in Paris and member of the National Syndicate of Dermatologists and Venereologists (SNDV), who urges “people who are widely they don’t wear brimmed hats.” or who wear hats, as well as those who drive a sports or convertible type vehicle” to further protect their ears.

Indeed, beyond sunburn, the consequences of exposure to this area without sunscreen can be more serious. “First there is a lesion called actinic keratosis, which can be destroyed with nitrogen. These can develop into squamous cell carcinoma, which is a much more dangerous form of cancer than basal cell carcinoma, and which can form metastases (tumors, Ed). “Sometimes we have to remove a good part of the cartilage from the ear,” reveals the doctor.

Another suspicious area that should not be overlooked is the top of the skull. “There are also a lot of scalp carcinomas and melanomas, especially among bald men who are asked to wear hats,” continues the specialist, detailing that some women are not spared for all that. “Of course, their hair protects them from UV rays on the top of the head, but those with very fine and thin hair or suffer from alopecia should protect themselves,” she advises.

In the video, the areas where you absolutely need to apply sunscreen

Finally, the dermatologist also draws attention to the protection of the lips. Indeed, their skin layer is much thinner than the rest of their body, and it contains very little melanin, making them very susceptible to sunburn or worse. “It’s an area that people don’t necessarily protect, but we see keratoses and carcinomas appearing there as well,” says the specialist.

Practical ways to protect yourself

To make our lives easier, new playable formats of sunscreen sticks (Clarins, Sisley, Shiseido, A-Derma, etc.) have hit our shelves. For practical touch-ups every two hours throughout the day without stuffing your fingers, these little pockets slip easily into your handbag and allow you to apply to specific areas.

As for lips, in recent years there are also many lip balms with SPF50 index (Avène, La Roche-Posay, Ultra Violette, Paula’s Choice, Isdin, etc.).

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