“As long as I don’t get sunburned, I’m fine”, at the beach, sunscreen is not always a priority

Skin cancers are among the most common cancers. In almost 85% of cases, they are due to excessive exposure to UV radiation. Although communication around dangers and prevention has been developing for years, good practices are not yet perfectly applied all the time.

Beach bag under one arm and foutas under the other, Catherine and Françoise take stock: swimsuits, flip-flops, caps, sunglasses, magazines, bottles of water and even cut watermelon quartered and stored in a glass container…

Everything is there for their relaxing day on the sand, or almost: “We forgot the sunscreen, they admit, a little sheepishly. We had taken out the tube before leaving, however, but we didn’t think to put it in the bag“Too bad,” they whisper, “once can’t hurt. And it’s not even very warm today, so…“

In the heart of skin cancer awareness week – held this year from June 10 to 16 – it is clear that although the majority of the population is aware of preventive measures, some still forget, or sometimes decide, to not really applying them.

Emma, ​​22, says she wears sunscreen, but only for the first exposure. “Afterwards, once I’ve tanned, I tend not to use too much, or really when I go on big boat trips, but otherwise I don’t pay too much attention to it.“

A strategy that the young woman admits to adopting to ensure a better tan. Same concern for Ghjuvan Battistu, 75 years old, who applies cream every day, “but with a not very high protection index“, he explains, showing his tube labeled “Intense Tan” FP6 – that is to say a low sun protection factor -. “This way, I tan gradually, and I don’t get sunburned.“

Fabio, 43, has opted for an even more effective technique to ensure a beautiful caramel complexion from the first days of summer: in the absence of sunscreen, he uses tanning oils instead.

Without fear of the potential dangers for their skin? “I tell myself that as long as I don’t get sunburned, I’m fine.”, slips Emma, ​​who nevertheless specifies to check the UV index before exposing herself. “I don’t ask myself the question. At my age, we no longer ask questions, it’s over“, jokes Ghjuvan Battistu.

“There are many things today that we are asked to be careful aboutFabio points out. But I only do it two months a year, it’s not like it’s every day.” The forty-year-old nevertheless explains that he does not have the same mentality regarding his 11-year-old son. “For him, I have index 50“, he assures, pointing to the tube.

Is sun protection really essential before exposure? Yes, recalls Léo Le Botlanne, pharmacist at Marana. Overexposure to UV – ultraviolet rays -, whether natural or artificial, presents dangers for the skin, even at the lowest level. “It’s a problem not to protect yourself.”

There are two main types of skin cancer, recalls the National Cancer Institute. The first and most common (90% of skin cancers) are carcinomas, which take the form of a pimple or a white crust. They occur in the majority of cases after the age of 50, and are due to excessive and chronic exposure to the sun. Second type, and the most serious: cutaneous melanoma. In 85% of cases, they are again due to excessive exposure to solar UV rays among those over 30 years old.

Each year, between 141,200 and 243,500 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in France, indicates Santé Publique France. Around 2000 deaths were recorded.

Even beyond the risks of skin cancer, “sunscreen is the best anti-aging agent and the best solution to prevent accelerated aging of the skin“, continues pharmacist Léo Le Botlanne. A recommendation that is all the more relevant in a region that is very regularly sunny like Corsica.

The pharmacist nevertheless notes a positive point: “Overall, there is a form of awareness among people on this subject. They are increasingly realizing the importance of being careful, and are buying more and more products earlier in the year, especially for children. Afterwards, we try as much as possible to guide them too. For example, when customers ask us for index 30, we will try to get them to switch to protection 50.“

Even if there are still regular customers “who come to see us all red after having burned. These are mainly people who arrive from vacation without sunscreen, get caught in the sun on the first day, and then go to the pharmacy to find products to relieve them and protection for the future.“

So to skip this painful step, it is better to think about purchasing your sun protection in advance… And to remember to reapply it several times during the day, to benefit from the greatest effectiveness.