Urgent warning to millions of Brits over common sunscreen mistake
MILLIONS of Brits are set to bask in sunny temperatures tomorrow to kick off the Jubilee weekend.
But those heading outside have been urged to check their sun lotion to avoid a common mistake.
These can help prevent you getting burnt in the sun, and therefore can help protect you from harmful rays which in turn can cause skin cancer.
Many of these lotions, experts found, were over ten years old.
Most of these products will have a 12 month shelf life - which you can usually see on the back of the item.
Read more on skin protection
A survey of over 2,000 people found that many adults have a blasé attitude when it comes to sun protection in general.
Of the 2,000, nine per cent said they only wore sun lotion whilst on holiday abroad and five per cent said they didn't need to wear it at all.
Shockingly, 11 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to risk skin cancer if it meant having a tan.
A quarter of participants also said they don't feel good without a tan, with 17 per cent saying they felt pressure to have a sun-kissed look due to celebrities and social media stars.
Dermatology consultant Dr Catherine Borysiewicz said it is 'extremely concerning' to see the lengths people will go to for a tan.
She added: "Sun protection is vital, whether you're in the UK or abroad, and irrespective of your skin colour.
"Sun creams and sprays provide the necessary protection from skin damage to potentially long-term or even fatal conditions.
"It is also important to purchase new sun protection each year, as creams do expire and will become less effective."
The Sun has previously reported on social media tanning trends, with people saying the would 'rather die hot than live ugly'.
Tanning nasal sprays have taken off, promising to help darken the skin.
Viewers of viral videos on TikTok are scrambling to get their hands on a bottle - despite there being no clear evidence the drops actually work.
And skin doctors have warned that they could lead to awful side effects such as high blood pressure, spontaneous erections and even worse - skin cancer.
They explained: "Skin colour is dependent on a pigment called melanin. This is produced by specialised cells called melanocytes.
"Melanocytes produce packets of melanin called melanosomes and transfers them to the skin cells of the epidermis.
"Melanocytes are found throughout the skin. All races have the same number of melanoctyes. Black skin, however, has more melanosomes, giving better sun protection and more pigmentation."
When it comes to sunburn, these are the key points you need to know:
- One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life.
- A person's risk for developing melanoma also doubles if he or she has had five or
more sunburns at any age. - The sun exposure pattern believed to result in melanoma is that of brief, intense exposure for example a blistering sunburn - rather than years of tanning.
- Some people can develop sunburn after less than 15 minutes of sun exposure!
The survey from the London clinic also revealed that Brits are taking dangerous risks when it comes to their skin.
Around 29 per cent said they have used a sun bed in the past and one in ten said they had tried dangerous tanning products like the nasal sprays and injections.
One woman recently revealed that she was left with a gaping hole in her bum after using the jabs.
Danielle Trevarthen got her then boyfriend to inject her with the tanning aid, but just a week later, a five inch abscess appeared on her bum.
She had five seizures and ended up in hospital.
Dr Borysiewicz added: "The rise in popularity of tanning products, like Melanotan-2 that can be taken as nasal spray or injection is very worrying.
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"These products are potentially very dangerous and have been linked to cancer.
"Really, the only safe way to achieve an all over, year-round tan, without the health risks is using fake tan."
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