Walking, gardening, playing outdoor sports, swimming … The sun is the ideal companion to practice this type of activity. But it is not without risk. 80% of cases of skin cancer are linked to excessive exposure. And some false ideas encourage some not to protect themselves enough.
A high sunscreen provides complete protection
That’s wrong. More than one in two parent considers that a regular application of sunscreen is sufficient protection. However, even an index 50 does not filter 100 % of UV rays.
The sunscreen must therefore complete the other protective measures-covering, long and large clothes, hat with wide edges, pair of sunglasses with anti-UV filter …-and not replace them!
A tanning is a sign of good health
That’s wrong. Although 78 % of French people think that the sun is beneficial for health, often for aesthetic reasons (“good -looking” effect), “healthy” tan does not exist. Tanning is actually a reaction to defense of the skin in the face of the attack on UV rays and their damage to the DNA of our cells. In addition to increasing the risk of skin cancer, tanning accelerates skin aging.
Prolonged exposure to the sun is necessary to obtain vitamin D
Of course, sunlight contributes to the production of vitamin D, essential to the health of bones, muscles and the immune system. But a brief exposure is enough. From April to September, 5 to 10 minutes of daily hands, forearms and face are enough for clear skin (15 to 30 minutes for darker skin).
Self -tanners and food supplements protect against damage caused by the sun
Again, that’s wrong. Self -tanners and food supplements can give a tanned complexion, but offer no sun protection: these are in fact only dyes (often carotene).
Moreover, ” Certain food supplements based on beta-carotene, consumed in high doses, represent a gurdy of lung cancers for smokers and ex-smokers (and people exposed to asbestos) », Insists the National Cancer Institute (INCa).
Note : The artificial UV rays of tanning cabins are just as dangerous. Unlike popular belief, artificial tan does not “prepare” skin for sun exposure. The tanning cabins are responsible for around 380 cases of melanoma per year in France.
