Wearing sunscreen is one of the most effective ways you can prevent skin cancer and help maintain a youthful complexion. What’s more, several myths regarding its safety have begun circulating, particularly across social media platforms. People with more expertise, including dermatologist Michelle Wong and Professor Jane Hanrahan are going to challenge these myths and learn more. They illustrate the importance of sunscreen with a risk-reduction graphic.
She wants Wong to stress that sunscreen is one of the best tools for preventing skin cancer. It further contributes to your skin’s overall long-term health and look! “The cost-benefit analysis is pretty clear. What we don’t have, she explained, is real-world evidence that sunscreen prevents skin cancers and that it improves your skin tone,” she said. With skin cancer rates still rising, it’s critically important to establish what role sunscreen can and should play in the big picture of skin health.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently conducted a review of seven common active ingredients found in sunscreen. They suggested a number of ways to improve safety for consumers. Oxybenzone and homosalate remind TGA to lower the maximum concentration of these ingredients. In the meantime, they assured consumers that the max concentration for 4-MBC in Australian products will remain at 4 percent. Wong says that even with all of these concerns weighed, areas reconsidering 4-MBC have not taken it off store shelves. They don’t have strong enough evidence to support taking such action.
Wong additionally responded to the baseless accusations about “endocrine-disrupting chemicals” in sunscreens. “And there is no real-world evidence that sunscreen has ever made anyone’s cancer worse,” she said. “But as misinformation quickly spreads, it becomes disheartening to see how it could affect sunscreen adoption and, in turn, skin cancer prevention.”
Australia struggles with the world’s highest levels of skin cancer. At least two out of every three Australians will be diagnosed with the disease at some stage in their life. On an annual basis, around 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer. Wong pointed out that high sunscreen usage has helped to stabilize skin cancer rates throughout the country. Researchers from the University of Sydney just made an amazing discovery. More Australians aged 18 to 40 who used sunscreen routinely as children reduced their chances of developing melanoma by 40 percent.
The debate over the safety of sunscreen ingredients is made murkier by toxicology 101. Frederic Leusch – Full Transcript frederic leusch Frederic Leusch – In toxicology, we say the dose makes the poison. He went on to illustrate how even something as benign as water can kill you when taken in large doses. Sprinkle a little salt on your fries, and suddenly they’re super tasty—score! Sure, a little salt isn’t too bad, but if you pour the whole salt shaker on them—now you’re headed to the emergency department.
Wong set the record straight on common assumptions regarding chemicals in sunscreen. He stressed that the small amount people might absorb through their skin is far too negligible to present any sort of health threat. She placed it in context—explaining that the dose that we’ll be getting in our bodies is minuscule. It is that inconsequential, in fact — so little of an effect that it won’t even be a nuisance level effect.
There’s not only a miscalculation about the amount of sunscreen needed for toxicity. Wong pointed out that using half a liter of sunscreen every day would be required for people to achieve concentrations seen in animal studies. This very approximate calculation underscores the need for proper sun protection. She went on, saying we’d have to apply half a liter of sunscreen each day. This dosage is needed in order to produce effects comparable to that seen in animal studies.
Even with these conversations, sun safety continues to be met with myths, especially regarding the role that sunscreen plays. Myths such as these prompted Professor Jane Hanrahan to speak out, particularly because of their potentially damaging effects on public health. Misunderstanding proper sunscreen use is particularly concerning, as this may lead people to avoid or reduce their sunscreen use and increase skin cancer incidences,” she said.
Critics point to legislative efforts, such as a European Union-wide ban on some sunscreen ingredients. Wong reiterated that these decisions are the result of continuous safety assessments, not final determinations of harm. “The reason the EU decided to ban it is they didn’t have sufficient data to establish a safe limit,” she explained.
Fortunately, our experts have addressed these myths directly. They implore the public to rely on scientific evidence and safety guidelines when deciding to use sunscreen. Cancer is a substantial health concern, especially in countries such as Australia that have high levels of UV radiation. To stop it, putting down the right products that are proven to work is key.
