New research from La Roche-Posay this week spotlights the most common, lingering health-related myths amongst the British public. With the UK set to sizzle with highs of 29°C expected across the country, expert dermatologists are keen to set the record straight on sun protection.
The research found that more than a third of 25–34-year-olds think you can’t get sunburned within the first 30 minutes of being outside 22 % believe sunscreen is only necessary during the summer and 21% agree that you cannot get sun damage / UV rays cannot reach you through a window.
Check out our recent feature on busting common SPF and sun care myths.
“Too many people avoid wearing sunscreen because they think it might be harmful to their skin, or they think it’s healthier to have a tan. There is no evidence of this and plenty of evidence that excess sun exposure is very harmful to the skin,” said Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Hiva Fassihi.
“La Roche-Posay as a brand is heavily involved with dermatologists to develop and design their sunscreens. They have a huge range of products – something for everyone – from children to adults, tints within their sunscreen, to light and spray formulations. Although invisible, harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that cause skin cancer and ageing are present all year-round. Sun protection should be applied daily, even in winter, but especially when the sun is out.”
Other worrying results from the survey include:
• Wearing suncream means you won’t get burned (26% agree*)
• Suncream causes blemishes and breakouts (25% agree*)
• Suncream can be harmful to skin (22% agree*)
• Sunburn is unavoidable (23% agree*)
This research comes after a new campaign reignited the call to scrap VAT on SPF products.