Death by Sunscreen (clickbait)
It’s the middle of summer and 80 degrees, you’re outside enjoying the sun. However, you wake up the next day sunburnt, thriving in pain, and not to mention the itching that comes with it. You should enjoy the sun without having to worry about any of those things, that is why you should use sunscreen!
Sunscreen has so many benefits not only will you not get sunburnt but you will have a lesser chance of getting any kind of skin cancer that are caused by the sun. Terri Lee, a M.A who works in the dermatology department of the South Bend Clinic says “More than 90% of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.” With that being said you can eliminate that risk by just using sunscreen.
People who don’t use sunscreen later in life experience all types of skin damages from the sun that are very preventable. Applying sunscreen takes less than 30 seconds and you only have to apply it every two hours depending on how long you are outside for. That 30 seconds can do so much for your skin.
Even with all the data and statistics of those who do and don’t use sunscreen, there is still a large amount of people who choose not to use sunscreen. So I asked a student at Riley High School who chooses not to apply sunscreen, Jasper Tingle says “I'm a carefree person when it comes to that stuff. I don't care to put sunscreen on because it doesn't really do anything for me, and yes I know the health risk.” Except sunscreen does so much for your skin, even though you can’t see it, in the long run it is so worth it.
Applying sunscreen can prevent premature aging, prevents tanning, and protects you from the UVs of the sun. There are both the lotion sunscreens where you apply by hand or the spray kind. Either one works.
Terri Lee says the best sunscreens to use are “Sunscreens that are recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology are SPF 30 or higher, protecting against UVA & UVB rays and Water resistance.” Most sunscreens have higher SPFs than just 30 so those are not hard to find.
Amber Long, a teacher here at Riley High school, burns very easily and describes her skin as pale and fair skin. So I asked her what brands she recommended for those who have the same skin as her and here is what she had to say “ I always like using a sports brand since they say that they still work even if you are sweating. Usually it is very warm during that time, and I sweat a lot.”
Although it is recommended that you reapply sunscreen every 90-120 minutes, it still depends on your skin. Everyone is different, it may take someone 30 minutes to burn or an hour. You should always be listening to your body and play it by ear. Not what is recommended is always the best for your specific lifestyle and skin.
Some common myths surrounding sunscreen is that sunscreen can cause cancer. As scientifically proven by The Harvard Health Publishing who says “This false association was made because the individuals who used
sunscreen were the same ones who were traveling to sunnier climates and sunbathing.” Sunscreen can prevent
skin cancer, not the other way around. Another commonly asked question is that sunscreen protects you from the three commonly known skin cancers and Harvard Health said “There are excellent studies that sunscreen protects against all three of the most common skin cancers: squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma.”
No matter the season or how much time you have before going into the sun, it is always a great idea to take a couple of seconds to apply sunscreen. You get so many health benefits from applying sunscreen so why not just spray it all over and have fun without the worry of getting burned.
