At the same time as pharmacies have introduced age limits on skincare, another trend is growing among young people. UV apps are being used to optimise sunbathing.
What are they thinking? wonders Helena Torsler Andersson at the Cancer Foundation.
In recent times, several media outlets have reported on a new TikTok trend among young people. Various apps are being used to find out when the UV index is at its highest to optimise sunbathing.
This is something that Helena Torsler Andersson, a registered nurse and expert in oncology at the Cancer Foundation, strongly advises against. "Good grief, this is completely mad," was her initial thought when she heard about the trend.
What are they thinking? This is completely wrong use of UV apps. They are designed as a tool to know when to try to avoid sunbathing.
Sun gives more wrinkles
Earlier this year, there have been reports of a trend of increased use of skincare among children – which may seem paradoxical given the risks associated with high UV radiation.
Even if you don't get cancer, your skin will age faster if you're out in the sun a lot. You'll get more wrinkles and leathery skin that's not very nice. You can also get different pigment changes in the skin, says Torsler Andersson.
And you can't escape the risk of skin cancer. Malignant melanoma is a skin cancer that can spread and can be fatal in the worst case.
Other forms of skin cancer can also lead to major operations that leave ugly scars – often on the face, according to Torsler Andersson.
"Feels immortal"
When the sun is at its highest in the sky and the UV index is high, you risk getting sunburned – which in turn increases the risk of getting malignant melanoma later in life.
It's not something that will happen tomorrow, says Torsler Andersson, adding that young skin is also more sensitive to the sun than older skin.
Torsler Andersson believes that the trend may be due to young people not understanding the long-term consequences and that at that age, they feel "a bit immortal".
I don't think they think about the fact that it can lead to skin cancer in 20 years. It's a difficult perspective at that age.
UV index is a measure of the UV radiation from the sun that reaches the earth and causes sunburn.
A high UV index means that the UV radiation is strong and you should use sun protection. UV index is usually at its highest at midday.
It's essential for most people to protect themselves in the sun when the UV index is 3 or higher.
In Sweden, the UV index is at its highest during the summer between 11 am and 3 pm. Then, the UV index can be between 4 and 7.
Source: The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
