Two new studies point to a disturbing trend: Young people appear to be neglecting their sun protection.
In an online survey of more than 1,000 people released this month by the American Academy of Dermatology, 28% of 18- to 26-year-olds said they don’t believe sunburn causes skin cancer, and 37% said they only wear sunscreen if recommended by someone else.
Another poll released this month by the Orlando Health Cancer Institute found that 14% of adults under 35 believe the myth that wearing sunscreen every day is more harmful than being in the sun. Though the survey was too small to capture the behavior of all young people, doctors say they experience these knowledge gaps and risky behaviors among their younger patients.
To some extent, experts say the problem isn’t limited to today’s younger generations. “Young people are just young,” said Dr. Melissa Scheib, a dermatologist at the University of California, Irvine, Calif. One study conducted between 1986 and 1996 found that people ages 18 to 24 at the time (now middle-aged) were more likely to visit tanning salons and get a tan than older adults.
Young adults often don’t know what a sunburn looks like or how to prevent it, Scheib said. She said she recently saw a young patient who didn’t know that sunburned skin and freckles were signs of sunburn. Dr. Heather Rogers, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Washington, said many of her young patients report going to tanning salons. Whether from tanning salons or direct sunlight, ultraviolet light can damage the skin and cause skin cancer, which can be fatal.
Older adults in the recent survey weren’t perfect when it came to knowledge about sun safety either: For example, 17% of millennials surveyed by the AAD didn’t know that tanning causes skin cancer. But overall, younger adults (most of whom are Gen Z, born after 1997) were more likely to say they believe myths about sun safety.
Experts said Gen Z is especially susceptible to misinformation about sunscreen and skin cancer that’s spreading on social media platforms like TikTok. They pointed to influencers who falsely claim sunscreen can cause cancer, as well as posts from celebrities who say they don’t use sunscreen because it blocks the absorption of vitamin D. (Years of scientific evidence support the effectiveness of sunscreen in preventing skin cancer, Scheib said.)
“The problem with social media is that no one is fact-checking what’s being said on it,” said Dr. Ida Orengo, chairman of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
“While it may help spread information about skin cancer prevention, it could also have the exact opposite effect and make things worse,” she said.
An Orlando Health poll found that nearly a quarter of respondents under 35 believe staying hydrated can help prevent sunburn. (There’s no evidence that it does.) The AAD survey also found that more than a quarter of people between 18 and 26 years old believe that all tanning damages skin cells, but that base tanning can help prevent skin cancer, Rogers said.
How should young people protect their skin?
Shiv said most sun-protection recommendations are universal for people of all ages, and the advice applies regardless of skin color because sunburn and skin cancer can happen to anyone, said Dr. Meredith McNamara, an assistant professor of pediatrics who specializes in adolescent medicine at the Yale School of Medicine.
- Find some shade. If you’ll be out in the sun for any length of time, Rogers recommends an umbrella, and shade is most important between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is strongest, Orengo said.
- Wear sun-protective clothing. Long sleeves and pants can help protect your skin, especially if they’re made from fabric that has an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating, Scheib says. A wide-brimmed hat is also a good idea.
- Apply and reapply sunscreen generously. UV rays can damage your skin even when it’s cloudy and cold, so experts recommend wearing sunscreen every day. The ideal sunscreen has at least an SPF of 30 and is labeled “broad spectrum,” Rogers says, which means it blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
Apply sunscreen every morning before you leave the house, and if you’re outdoors, you should reapply it every two hours — or more often if you’re sweating or swimming, says Shiv.
- Check your skin. McNamara said your primary care doctor or dermatologist can examine your skin during an annual physical, but Orengo recommended seeing a dermatologist right away if you spot a mole that looks unusual — like it’s asymmetrical, has an uneven border, is an unusual color, is larger than a quarter inch, or is changing rapidly.
- Consider protecting your skin your retirement gift. Dr. Clara Curiel Lewandrowski, a dermatologist at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, has one tip specific to Gen Z: Think of sunscreen as an investment in your future health. The more you protect your skin when you’re younger, the more you’ll protect yourself against skin cancer and sun-related wrinkles and age spots later in life.
