A 92-year-old woman applied sunscreen to her face but not her neck for more than 40 years – and a photograph shows the striking consequences for her skin.
Dr Avi Bitterman, a dermatologist in New York, posted the photograph of the unnamed woman on Twitter on September 2. It shows sun damage on the skin of her neck, and far less discolouration and fewer wrinkles on her face where she applied sunscreen.
Within four days, more than 239,000 people had liked the post, and more than 30,500 people had retweeted it, mostly as a reminder to apply sunscreen to all body parts exposed to the sun.
The photo was originally published in the Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in October 2021 as part of a report on skin cancer and ageing as an example of the effects of sun protection.
UV light, invisible radiation from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds, can damage skin cells and cause irreversible discolouration and wrinkles.
Exposure to UV is also the most preventable cause of skin cancer, which is “by far” the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
The different skin cancer types, and your risk of suffering it
People with lighter skin, blue or green eyes, skin that burns easily, blond hair, or those with family members who’ve had it are at highest risk of getting skin cancer, but anyone can get it.
Around one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime, data from the American Association of Dermatology shows.
To avoid sun damage, everyone – apart from babies younger than six months – should apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, or higher, to all exposed body areas before going outside if the UV index is three or higher, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back,” the CDC recommends.
The higher the SPF number, the better the protection against UV rays.
Spending time in the shade, wearing sunglasses and a hat, and choosing clothes that cover the skin also help protect against UV, the CDC says.
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