Sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer
A new study has found that sunscreen has limited protection against skin cancer, and to protect skin health, you should use a combination of sunscreens. Malignant melanoma is one of the most deadly forms of skin cancer and the fifth most common cancer in the UK. Previous studies have known that excessive sun exposure is an important factor in causing such diseases, but the mechanism of UV damage to DNA in skin cells has not been clear.

Researchers at the British Institute report that they conducted animal experiments to study the mechanism by which ultraviolet light increases the risk of malignant melanoma. They found that UV exposure caused defects in a gene called p53, an important cancer suppressor gene that plays an important role in regulating the cell cycle and preventing cells from becoming cancerous.

Further studies have found that although sunscreen can delay the destruction of DNA by ultraviolet rays on skin cells, it cannot provide complete protection for the skin from the molecular level, nor can it fundamentally prevent cancer. For example, experiments have shown that the commonly used SPF50 sunscreen extended the time it took mice to develop skin cancer after exposure to the sun by up to 30 percent.

Sunburn means damage to DNA, which increases the risk of skin cancer, the researchers said. Some people think that wearing sunscreen gives them a free pass to spend more time in the sun, which can actually increase their overall risk of skin cancer.

This study is the first to show, at a molecular level, that sunscreen is not a panacea and that a variety of methods are more effective.