Clinical dermatology expert Doctor Sonia said she was “shocked by the results from the research” conducted by Olay, which revealed that one in 10 people do not apply SPF every day. “SPF in short stands for sun protection factor,” explained Doctor Sonia. “And the number you see next to this is the amount of time you’re able to stay in the sun whilst being fully protected.” Doctor Sonia continued: “There are also two different rays that you need to know about, UVA and UVB. UVA is for ageing and UVB is for burning.”
The research team from Olay found that one in 10 Britons admit to never wearing SPF on their face.
Furthermore, 21 percent of respondents revealed that they only wear SPF when it’s sunny.
“UV rays are around all year long, even in the winter months,” Doctor Sonia shared.
“So it’s important that everyone always wears an SPF, or a moisturiser with SPF in it, every day.”
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Olay discovered that 28 percent of participants in its research, who identified as having melanin-rich black skin, felt weary of wearing SPF.
Reasons varied from the SPF leaving a white mark, not thinking the UK’s climate gets hot enough, to not liking the way SPF sits under make-up.
Even fair-skinned individuals in the research project cited spot breakouts as the reason for not wearing SPF.
Doctor Sonia emphasised: “It’s important to remember that the sun does not discriminate based on skin tone or hair colour – or gender!”
Skin types, according to Olay:
- Type 1: very pale, ivory skin. Burns easily and is unable to tan.
- Type 2: Light, ivory skin. Burns easily and slow to tan.
- Type 3: Light to golden-brown skin. Tans easily and occasionally burns.
- Type 4: Caramel, golden or olive-brown skin. Tans easily and rarely burns.
- Type 5: Deep bronze or rich-brown skin. Rarely burns.
- Type 6: Melanin-rich, black skin. Very rarely burns.
Skin cancer
The NHS pointed out that non-melanoma skin cancer is “one of the most common cancers in the world”.
In regards to the UK specifically, there are around 147,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
“The first sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or discoloured patch on the skin,” the health body warned.
The tumour, however, “persists after a few weeks and slowly progresses over months or sometimes year”.
In most cases, cancerous lumps are red and firm, which sometimes turn into ulcers.
Cancerous patches, on the other hand, are usually “flat and scaly” in appearance.
Non-melanoma typically develops on areas of the skin most commonly exposed to the sun.
Do be on the lookout for cancerous tumours on the skin of the face, ears, hands, shoulders, upper chest, and back.
If you are concerned about any patch of skin, booking a doctor’s appointment can be the first step.
A doctor is trained to look for signs of skin cancer; it’s possible they may refer you to see a dermatologist (i.e. a skin specialist).
Clinical dermatology expert Doctor Sonia works on behalf of Olay.
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