It is hot everywhere in France. Normal, you will say, it’s summer. Even in Brittany? Yes, it’s hot, even in Brittany. Unaccustomed to hot heat, the region sees, under the effect of global warming, its mercury climbing higher and higher and more and more often. However, the three million inhabitants of the region do not seem to be aware of the danger to which they are exposed.
The data of the health authorities are however formal: Brittany is the region of France which records the largest number of cases of skin cancer each year. In 2014, 1,305 cases of melanomas were identified in the region, a figure three times higher than the national average. For ten years, the trend has not really evolved. “In Brittany, covering yourself does not count for butter,” insists the league against cancer in a new promotion campaign. We take stock.
Why is Brittany so touched?
“Doctors agree that Bretons are not aware of their exhibition.” Patrick Bourguet is the president of the Ille-et-Vilaine cancer. This nuclear medicine teacher has long led the Cancer Eugène Marquis in Rennes cancer. For years, he has seen the ravages of the sun on the skin of the inhabitants of his region. “In the south, people are used to, they protect themselves, do not expose themselves in the hottest hours. But in Brittany, the sunshine rate is less and the heat is less heavy. People pay less attention, do not realize that you have to protect yourself even when there are clouds, ”continues the former doctor. The problem is moreover significantly the same in Normandy.
Are there public particularly at risk?
People with clear skin or red people are clearly more likely to “burn” their more fragile skin. Can the Celtic origins of Bretons explain this problem? “The genetic heritage can play because the skins do not all have the same sensitivity. But Brittany is so mixed today that it seems difficult to make it a truth, ”says Patrick Bourguet.
To hear the professor, it is mainly children and adolescents that must be protected from the shelves. “There is no age to develop melanoma. There are kids who can develop a skin lesion at 12 or 13 years old. What you need to know is that each of us has sun capital that they must manage throughout our life. ”
Certain professions particularly represented in Brittany are notably exhibited. Farmers, fishermen or even people working in green spaces or construction see their skin abused by rays.
According to doctors, there remains a form of “masculinism” in front of the sun. “It often happens to see the mother to cream themselves, to cream her children. But sir, he does not put it ”. Advice? “In this case, cover yourself. We are no less sensitive when we are tanned. It’s just that we burn less ”.
What to do to protect yourself well?
“The best thing is to protect yourself with a garment. It is also important to cover yourself with a hat or a cap and sunglasses. Our eyes also suffer from the sun’s rays, we should protect them, ”says Patrick Bourguet. It is advisable to put yourself in the shade and avoid exposing themselves between noon and 4 p.m. The sunscreen is important but it will never replace a textile. It must be applied regularly and present a high index (50 is good). According to the World Health Organization, four out of five skin cancers are avoidable if the right gestures were applied.
If in doubt about a stain on the skin, a beauty grain that blackens, grows or evolves, it is best to ask your doctor an opinion. “The first step is to observe yourself, to look at your body.”
