New research from Australia, the skin cancer capital of the world, provides proof that daily use of sunscreen use can slow the signs of aging and protect against cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Although using sunscreen daily is a big commitment, scientists from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and other institutions found that those who used sunscreen every morning as opposed to those who only applied it when they feel they needed it were 24 percent less likely to show signs of increased aging. Researchers divided 903 Australians 55 years old and younger into the two groups, one of which who used it daily on their face, neck, arms and hands, and the other which used sunscreen only when they felt like they needed to.
The first group applied sunscreen with at least 15 SPF every morning as well as after swimming or sweating heavily after several hours in the sun. The daily users were evaluated every three months to make sure they were sticking to their sunscreen use, and the findings of the study were revealed after four and a half years.
At the beginning of the experiment in 1992, almost 60 percent of participants showed moderate signs of aging, but researchers said the effects of daily sunscreen use did not depend on how much they had already aged, and what did matter instead was using a liberal amount of sunscreen daily regardless.
"These are meaningful cosmetic benefits," lead scientist Dr. Adele Green said the Associated Press. Experts looked at the back of the participants' left hands to determine signs of aging. Researchers noted that people spend billions of dollars a year on anti-wrinkle treatments, many of them unproven.
According to Australian government statistics, the continent has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with two out of three Australians diagnosed with the disease before age 70. In 2010, the total number of skin cancer deaths in the continent from melanoma was 1,452.
The Associated Press reported that the research team noted that their sunscreen user group often cheated, with about three quarters of the group only applying it three to four days a week. Nonetheless, the results showed that sunscreen use benefited even the middle-aged users and those with moderate signs of aging already.
Renowned New York City dermatologist Dr. Doris Day explained in her video on sunscreen that it's important to use the products even on days when the sun isn't strong or shining.
"It's really important to know that you need protection all year round, every day, even on cloudy days," she said in her video debunking myths about sunscreen. "I actually see the worst sunburns on cloudy days because people don't feel the sun shining down and don't realize that they need to apply sunscreen. They also don't re-apply."
Common Myths About Sunscreen Debunked! from Lifeminute on Vimeo.
