Teens are burning to be beautiful
03/07/10
Over a quarter (26%) of young people aged between 13–19 years will get sun burnt on purpose this summer in the belief their burn will turn into a tan later, according to research released today by Teenage Cancer Trust to mark the launch of their sun safety campaign, Shunburn. The charity, dedicated to helping young people fight cancer, also revealed almost a third (31%) of young people admit to never using sun cream in the UK, whilst (55%) believe the sun is less harmful in the UK compared to abroad.
The research, which investigated attitudes to sun safety in teenagers, also found that 22% of teenagers have fallen asleep in the sun and been badly burnt, whilst most (74%) believe you will never be burnt on cloudy days. However, it’s not all bad news. The charity found some young people use sun cream to have fun, with a fifth (19%) admitting to smearing sun scream on themselves to get the attention of a member of the opposite sex, whilst 16% have asked someone to put sun scream on them as a chat up line.
When it comes to the parts of the body most at risk, the charity discovered that nearly half (47%) of teenagers burn their shoulders most frequently, with arms and nose in second place.
Teenage Cancer Trust’s Shunburn campaign raises awareness of the issue of skin cancer in teenagers and young adults, and educates this age group about preventing skin damage that can lead to skin cancer in later life. In Britain, incidences of malignant melanoma have more than quadrupled over the last thirty years and it is now the second most common cancer in young adults (aged 15-34) in the UK. Shunburn asks young people to “love the sun, respect your skin” by following five simple steps such as chilling out in the shade between 11am and 3pm, slapping on the suncream and wearing a hat or cap.
Simon Davies, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust comments: “We’ve found that young people display a worrying lack of awareness when it comes to protecting their skin from the sun. We are trying to educate them to prevent the over exposure to sun whilst young which can lead to problems with skin cancer later in life. If we can stop just one young person from developing skin cancer when they are older then this year’s Shunburn campaign will have been worth it.”
Actor Nicholas Hoult and actress Michelle Ryan are this year’s Shunburn ambassadors and with the support of photographer Mary McCartney, have taken part in an exclusive photoshoot demonstrating the campaign’s key sun safety messages. Nicholas Hoult comments: “I’ve been a supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust for a while and sunburn is something I have experienced before where I have burnt the tops of my feet, ears and chest, so I am really encouraging young people to cover up and look after their skin this summer.”
Read more about the Shunburn campaign and watch the video with Nicholas Hoult and Michelle Ryan…
Actress Michelle Ryan comments: “When I was on holiday a few years ago I just didn’t apply enough suncream and I burnt my legs really badly. I now always remember to put sun block on my face and factor 25 on the rest of my body.”
As part of the Shunburn campaign this year, Teenage Cancer Trust worked with former Labour MP Julie Morgan and current Labour MP, Sian James, to get the Sunbed Regulatory Bill pass in the House of Lords. From April 2011 it will be illegal for 18 year olds and under to use sunbeds.
Teenage Cancer Trust has created a free burn alert text message service to remind young people to stay safe in the sun during the hottest days of the year. To sign-up text SHUN to 80231. For further information visit www.shunburn.co.uk
