Teenagers In The US Defies The Importance Of Sunscreen

Sunscreen is your best option when it comes to protecting your skin against the harmful rays of the sun. People who are active outdoors usually get sun burnt after prolonged exposure to the sun. Applying sunscreen once throughout the day is not enough to protect the skin from skin diseases. A recent report shows an alarming decrease of U.S teens using sunscreen to protect their skin. In fact, there is an estimated 12% decrease in the past 10 years, causing the government to get alarmed with the possible negative effects it has.

The trend of indoor tanning

It is also noted that more teens are becoming more dependent on indoor tanning. Indoor tanning as well as the absence of sunscreen while you are outdoors and basking in the sun can cause skin cancer. Other illnesses include extreme cases of melanomas and other skin diseases. Corey Basch, a researcher and an associate professor at William Paterson University in New Jersey said that in 2001 alone, there is a statistical record of 67.7% of teens using sunscreen, however, by the end of the year 2011, there is a significant decrease that hit the 56.1% mark.

The importance of wearing sunscreen protection

The use of sunscreen is not just an accessory to make your skin glow without burning it. It also plays a major factor in making sure your skin is protected from the UV rays, thus preventing any kind of skin illness. Some teenagers may not know this, but it is very important that they get educated in order to protect themselves from this skin disease.

Basch also cited that most teenagers fail to use sunscreen because they don't know its importance and its effect to their skin. Teenagers are becoming more and more independent that sometimes their own health is at risk. Research also concluded that teenagers are most likely to be victims of skin diseases because of their constant and active exposure to outdoor activities such as the beach. It is also during the summer period that they get to be exposed in activities that they forget to use sunscreen for their own protection.

Teenagers are not the only ones failing to use sunscreen. Even older people neglect this important things to do while exposed to the sun's harmful rays. The skin ages fast when it is not protected. It also becomes, dry, scaly and bears patches of discoloration. Protecting your skin is like protecting your whole body throughout the duration that you are exposed to the heat.

Dr. Jeanine Daly, a dermatologist in New York is very surprised about the report given how often and extensive the campaign is to use sunscreen especially during the summer period. The idea of getting a skin cancer barely makes sense to these teenagers causing the increase of non use of sunscreen.

Harmful effects of sun exposure

Skin diseases caused by lack of sunscreen include sunburn where the skin suffers first degree burn. Severe case of sunburn is characterized by blistering of the skin, fever and weakness. Age spots are also the cause of excessive exposure to the sun without using any sunscreen. Age spots are normally characterized by brown patches, especially in the facial area but can also appear on other parts of the body.

Indoor tanning also increases the risk of skin cancer due to the UV rays exposed to an individual's skin. Jeanine Daly also observed that an the normal amount of sunblock used by an individual for a day at the beach is 4 to 6 ounces. Some people don't even consume half of this leading to the idea that people are not applying enough to fully protect themselves.

In the United States alone, the campaign for the use of sunscreen is said to be very low causing teens to oversee its importance. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause different illnesses in which not all of them have immediate symptoms. Skin cancer takes longer to manifest and be felt  than a sunburn. The downside of this is the lifetime burden of having a skin cancer if not treated immediately. The impact of not wearing a sunscreen is your skin's ability to absorb all the harmful rays of the sun without any protection to stop it from spreading in other parts of the skin.

Using sunscreen as part of your daily regimen

Sunscreens differ in many ways, but whichever you choose, make sure that it has enough SPF to protect you from UVA and UVB, the number one cause of skin cancer. Women are mostly noticed to wear moisturizer and facial sunblock during the day. While they use it mainly as facial cosmetic, its number 1 responsibility is to protect the skin on the face from getting burnt. Facial sunscreen is different from the ones you use all over your body. However, body sunscreen is also designed to be applied on the face. If you're the type who is not sensitive to what goes in your face, you can use a small amount of regular sunblock for your face. Teenagers should know these basic rules about using sunscreen and its importance.

Daly also stressed out that applying sunscreen doesn't last longer during the day, that is why it is very important to re apply as much as possible. To determine whether a sunscreen is effective or not, it is important to purchase one that has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) content of at least SPF15. Depending on the type of your skin, you can be sure that by applying at least a minimum of SPF15, you can be confident of blocking at least 93% of UV rays.