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THURSDAY, December 24, 2020 – Researchers at two Utah universities have a warning for students planning to hit the slopes or play in the snow without sunscreen: You could dramatically increase your risk of skin cancer.
A survey of students from the Brigham Young University College of Nursing in Provo found that only 9% use sunscreen. They also found that the use of tanning beds by college students increased in winter, especially among men.
These two factors, combined with increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays reflecting off snow and ice, mean winter activities can be just as devastating to the skin as summer activities, the researchers said.
“The worst sunburn I’ve ever had is when I went skiing and didn’t put on sunscreen,” said lead study author Katreena Merrill, associate professor at Nursing. “A lot of people think they’ll be fine in the winter, but it’s just as important to protect yourself from the winter sun as it is from the summer sun.”
Previous studies have shown that over 50% of college students use tanning beds. Using tanning beds before the age of 35 increases a person’s risk of melanoma by 75%, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Tanning beds very intentionally expose your skin to potential cancer,” Merrill said. “UV radiation comes from the sun and artificially from tanning beds. It penetrates through glass and clouds, damaging the cell’s DNA and aging the skin.”
About 20% of Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. According to the study, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined.
The researchers also analyzed protective behaviors by phenotypic risk, another key factor in the risk of skin cancer. It is associated with skin types containing different amounts of melanin. People who lack melanin – often those with fair skin and red hair – are most at risk of developing skin cancer, researchers say.
Unfortunately, they found that these college students were no more likely to wear sunscreen than their low-risk friends, and were just as likely to use tanning beds.
“Few college-age people routinely wear sunscreen,” senior author Emily Graham, a medical student at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, said in a college press release. “This is of particular concern in Utah, which has the highest incidence of melanoma in the country.”
Merrill said students need to be more proactive in protecting their skin when they are young. She suggests wearing sunscreen year-round in the sun, as well as wearing hats and protective clothing. She strongly advises against using tanning beds.
The results were recently published in the Journal of the Association of Dermatology Nurses.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some sun safety tips.
SOURCE: Brigham Young University, press release, December 17, 2020
Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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