The quest for a golden glow may doing more than driving people to the beach (or tanning salon): it could be contributing to the dramatic increase in skin cancer among young adults that has taken place over the last three decades.
“[Non-melanoma skin cancers] are occurring in younger and younger people,” said Dr. Cheryl Rosen, head dermatologist at Toronto Western Hospital. “It’s not just a disease of sixty-year-olds anymore.”
Once rarely found in people under 50, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed today. It is caused by prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation found in sunlight. UV light damages skin cells’ DNA, causing mutations which lead to altered proteins, cellular function and, ultimately, skin cancer.
There are two major categories of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma. Of the two, non-melanoma is the most prevalent and is the one increasing amongst people under 40. The two types of non-melanoma cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Though the cause of the increase hasn’t been determined, many suspect the popularity of tanning salons are a contributing factor. With many of today’s beauty icons sporting bronzed hues, this new aesthetic may play a significant role.
The irony, however, is that young adults who tan for vanity reasons may be facilitating the aging process. “UV radiation is responsible for sunspots, liver spots and wrinkles – all signs of aging. When we judge how old a person is by looking at their face, what we’re actually judging is the extent the skin has been damaged by the sun,” said Rosen.
Wrinkles result when skin loses elasticity. The sun speeds up this loss by destroying elastin found in the skin. “If you look under the microscope, you can see that the elastin, instead of being nice and wavy and spread out through the [skin], is pale purple clumps. [This can already be seen] in biopsies of normal people in their twenties,” Rosen explained. She said there is a large disconnect between people wanting to be tanned and then not wanting to be wrinkled. “My message is be happy with the skin you were born with.”
Rosen did recommend a number of ways to prevent suffering the ill effects of sunlight. First amongst these is wearing a sunscreen with an SPF 30 or more. UV radiation in sunlight comes in two forms: ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B. UVB is one thousand times more effective at causing sunburns than UVA, and is therefore, the form that the skin needs to be protected from.
Common sense also plays a role. Try to avoid being out for long periods during 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV light is at peak intensity, don hats and stay in the shade.
People not only need to be more aware of shade, said Rosen, but urban planners, landscape architects and engineers need to become more aware of this need for shade when designing and constructing urban areas. “Everybody in Canada is so busy trying to keep us warm, they forget about the flipside: that we need to be shaded when it’s sunny.”
