Yes, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok, you still need to apply sunscreen

Summer is almost here. But instead of using sunscreen, some TikTokers do just that encouraging followers throw it away and forgo sunscreen.

They argue that it is healthier to forgo sunscreen to get the full benefits of the sun.

Here’s what the science really says.

How does sunscreen work?

Due to the extreme UV environment in Australia, most people with pale to olive skin or other risk factors for skin cancer must do so protect yourself. Applying sunscreen is a key method of protecting areas that are not easily covered by clothing.

Sunscreens work by absorbing or scattering UV rays before they reach the skin and damage DNA or supporting structures such as collagen.

When UV molecules hit DNA, the excess energy can damage our DNA. This damage can be repaired, but if the cell divides before the error is repaired, it causes a mutation that can lead to skin cancer.

The most common skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Melanoma is less common but most likely spreads throughout the body; this process is called metastasis.

Two against three At least the Australians will one skin cancer during their lives and they reconcile 80% all cancers in Australia.

About 99% of skin cancers in Australia are caused by overexposure to UV radiation.

Excessive exposure to UV radiation also affects the appearance of the skin. UVA rays are able to penetrate deep into the skin, where they break down supporting structures such as elastin and collagen.

This causes signs premature agingsuch as deep wrinkles, brown or white spots and broken capillaries.

Sunscreen can lend a hand prevent skin cancer

Consistently used sunscreen reduces the risk of skin cancer and slows skin aging.

In Queensland studyparticipants either used sunscreen daily for almost five years or continued their usual apply.

After five years, the risk of squamous cell cancer was reduced in the daily group 40% compared to the second group.

Ten years later, the risk of developing invasive melanoma was reduced in the group of people taking the drug daily 73%

Do sunscreens block the health-promoting properties of sunlight?

The answer is a bit more complicated and involves a personalized risk-benefit trade-off.

First, the good news: spending time in the sun has many health benefits don’t rely under the influence of UV radiation and are not affected by the apply of sunscreens.

Sunscreens only filter UV rays, not perceptible lithe or infrared lithe (which we feel as heat). Importantly, some of the benefits of sunlight are obtained through Eyes.

Visible light improves mood and regulates and possibly reduces circadian rhythm (which influences the sleep-wake cycle). myopia (myopia) in children.

Infrared lithe is being investigated as a treatment for several conditions skin, neurological, psychiatric AND autoimmune disorders.

So what is the benefit of exposing your skin to UV radiation?

Sun exposure produces vitamin D, which is necessary for robust bones and muscles.

Vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common among Australians, peaking in Victoria at 49% in winter and lowest in Queensland at 6% in summer.

Fortunately, people who take care of sun protection can avoid vitamin D deficiency taking a supplement.

Skin exposure to UV radiation may have benefits independent of vitamin D production, but these have not been proven. It may reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis or cause the release of a chemical that can lower blood pressure. However, there are not enough details about these benefits to say whether sunscreen will be a problem.

What does this mean for you?

Exposure of the skin to UV radiation may provide some benefits that may be blunted by sunscreens. This determines whether it’s worth giving up these benefits to avoid skin cancer how susceptible you have skin cancer.

If you have pale skin or other factors that augment your risk of skin cancer, you should try to apply sunscreen daily on all days when the forecast UV index reaches 3.

If you have darker skin that rarely or never burns, you may want to skip using sunscreen every day – although you’ll still need protection when you’re outdoors for extended periods of time.

For now, the balance of evidence suggests that it is better for people susceptible to skin cancer to continue using sunscreen, supplementing with vitamin D as needed.