A new major survey presented at the EADV conference shows that…

09/09/2022 – 00:01

EADV

Milan, April 20 /PRNewswire/

According to a new study presented today at the 31st Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), eight out of ten Europeans think a tan is attractive and nearly (73%) think a tan is healthy.

This is despite decades of educational campaigns establishing a link between excessive sun exposure, skin cancer and aging in many countries.

The results of a survey of 17,000 people from 17 countries, including 6,000 people from the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Russia, conducted by La Roche-Posay and IPSOS Laboratories, show that “healthy tans” and other myths about sun protection are still common. Very much in Europe and other countries.

Other myths included the belief that sunscreen isn’t necessary in cloudy weather and that you don’t need sunscreen if you’re already tanned.

Participants from non-European countries, including North and South America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia, were less enthusiastic than Europeans about tanning. 67% said the tan was attractive and 59% thought the tan was healthy.

Although 92% of Europeans are aware of the dangers of skin aging caused by the sun (86% outside Europe), 84% of them admit that they do not protect themselves all year round (79% outside Europe).

Lead researcher, Professor Thierry Bassiron, commented on the findings: “This research shows how entrenched the myth of a ‘healthy’ tan is – even among people who have already experienced sun damage or developed skin cancer.

“We need to raise awareness about the damage done to skin cells by exposure to sunlight, which can lead to photoaging and skin cancer. This is especially important in Europe, where sun protection appears to be the least appropriate compared to other countries” Professor Thierry Bassiron added.

The survey also showed that only 56% of Europeans know that sunscreen is useful in cloudy weather (versus 64% outside Europe), and one in four (24%) think it is safe to go outside without sunscreen when they are already tanned ( compared to 21% outside Europe).

1 in 10 (10%) of Europeans said they routinely or frequently use all forms of sun protection, such as applying sunscreen, staying in the shade, and wearing a hat and protective clothing year-round, compared to 14% of people outside the country . Europe.

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