Friday, June 7, 2013

Sunscreen slows wrinkles: Will this evidence increase the use of sunscreen?

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This week, new research was released suggesting that sunscreen not only reduces the risk for skin cancer, but that it also slows skin aging. In this study, people who were told to use sunscreen daily had fewer lines and less coarse skin after four years than those who used it as they normally would. I’ve seen this study all over the news (here, here, and here)! Though doctors say they have long been telling patients that sunscreen protects against skin aging, they are now excited to have solid evidence to support their claims and are hopeful this will encourage people to use sunscreen more often.


Why might this evidence be such a big deal? Doesn’t the risk of skin cancer seem more serious than premature wrinkles? For lots of individuals, the threat of skin cancer is enough to get them to slather on sunscreen every time they hit the beach. But that threat doesn’t prompt everyone to use sunscreen. Many people have an appearance-based concern that takes precedence. They want a nice suntan! With this new evidence about skin aging, doctors can now pit one appearance-based concern against another: a tan vs. fewer wrinkles. For individuals who don’t use sunscreen because they care about appearances, the evidence that wrinkles may form faster without sunscreen may be more effective at changing behavior than the threat of cancer.

Now it’s time to see what psychological science says about using appearance concerns to change behavior. Does appealing to people’s concerns for their looks alter their use of sunscreen? In one study addressing this question, researchers tested two appearance-based interventions with undergraduates in San Diego.

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In a photoaging video intervention, students watched a video about photoaging that described how sun exposure can affect the skin, showing pictures of wrinkles and age spots, and that also explained how people can protect against photoaging. In a UV photo intervention, students had a UV photo taken, which had a special filter that emphasized spots in their skin due to the sun. They were told that the spots showed skin damage, which would worsen without increased sun protection. Those in a control group participated in neither of these interventions. 

When compared to the control group, both interventions led to greater intentions to protect oneself from harmful sun exposure. However, intentions aren’t always linked to behavior, so the researchers also checked in with participants at the end of the summer (4 to 5 months after the interventions) to examine evidence of sun-protective behaviors. Engaging in more sun-protective behaviors (such as using sunscreen with a high SPF) should lead to less skin darkening over time. Researchers found that people in the intervention groups showed significantly less skin darkening after the summer than those in the control group. In addition, in the photoaging video group, this difference remained significant even a full year after the intervention.

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It looks like doctors’ excitement about the benefits of the new research on sunscreen and skin aging is well-founded! Appealing to people’s concerns about their looks appears to be both a time- and cost-effective strategy that can alter behavior. Hopefully, those concerned about looking their best will respond to this research by using sunscreen more frequently, and in the process, minimize both skin aging and their risk of skin cancer.

If you don’t use sunscreen very often, does the evidence about premature skin aging convince you to change your behavior? If you have tried to convince someone else to use sunscreen, what strategies have you found most effective? Let us know in the comments!

Reference:

Mahler, H., Kulik, J., Gerrard, M., & Gibbons, F. (2007). Long-term effects of appearance-based interventions on sun protection behaviors. Health Psychology, 26 (3), 350-360 DOI: 10.1037/0278-6133.26.3.350

9 comments:

  1. This is Very interesting and I suspect that these studies will have a big impact on people's propensity to slather it on. I think it will probably help as a good reminder for a lot of the folks who don't necessarily wear lots of sunscreen, but who also don't go out seeking a tan. I'm guessing that the individuals who are constantly seeking a tan won't change their behavior much as a result of this as the reward of less aging is still pretty far-off (much like the reduced risk of cancer) And the "benefits" of a tan are right there. However, this seems like a nice additional arrow in the quiver for the people trying to convince others to wear sunscreen. Thanks for the post!

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    1. I agree! It's probably going to be tough to alter the behavior of 20-year-olds who really want a tan, but hopefully others who aren't looking for a tan will now think more about using sunscreen. Thanks for reading!

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  2. The evidence is there, but we all can just ignore what bugs us: AND we do. Supposedly by far the greatest amount of sun exposure occurs in youth, so vigorous insistance by parents about sunscreen use is perhaps the best way to get the habit of its use ingrained. Good blog. WDM

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    1. You're probably right! But hopefully parents don't bug their kids about it so much that then it becomes something kids don't want to do just because their parents want them to! Thanks for posting :)

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  3. I used sunscreen when I was outside this weekend (an early summer weekend, when I otherwise would not have) because of this article!

    I really like the way I look when I have a tan, but I definitely want to slow skin aging. There are a lot of good self-tanning lotions out there now (that don't turn you orange)- I recommend Dove Summer Glow and Jergens.

    Great post! -A

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  4. Thanks for the recommendations :) Hopefully the spray-on tans and self-tanning lotions can get better over the years so that there is less of a need to get permanent skin damage for a tan.

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  5. I think this is very interesting because its teaching the reader to be more aware of the damages that the sun can do to your skin after a period of time and the importance of taking care of your body rather than worrying about a tan. The author used social psychology to influence the readers behavior and thoughts when they step out into the sun by informing them about the risks of skin aging and skin cancer and letting them know those risks can be reduced by using sunscreen more often.

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  6. Supposedly by far the greatest amount of sun exposure occurs in youth, so vigorous insistence by parents about sunscreen use is perhaps the best way to get the habit of its use ingrained. .

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  7. Hmmm. Sunscreens are really quite the help for a safe and healthy outdoor travel. They have fulfilled this function for a long time now. But sometimes, the heat may be so severe that these things can be inadequate. What matters more is the actual health of the skin, and that it's not torn down by UV rays, wrinkles or no. So a good old-fashioned clinic is still there for our needs.

    William @ RediClinic

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