Advertisement

More Aussies chancing skin cancer as sunscreen health risk myths take hold

Australians have grown up with the Slip, Slop, Slap slogan, but it seems many of us still don't understand the dangers of too much UV exposure - and how sunburn can happen even on a cloudy day.

On a rainy Sydney day, there aren't too many people at the beach - but those who are there don't seem too concerned about slapping on the SPF cream.

Asked why they weren't wearing sunscreen, one beachgoer said, "because it's cold, and I don't really need it."

Experts warn that many Australians believe they only need sunscreen when it's hot and sunny - and even then, not everyone's getting the sun protection message.

"People are losing faith in sun protection, particularly sunscreen," Cancer Council spokesman Craig Sinclair says.

"But the UV climate here is Australia is now entering extreme levels."

According to a Cancer Council survey three years ago, 61 per cent of Australians felt it was safe to use sunscreen every day.

In 2017, that number dropped to 55 per cent.

And as many as a fifth believe regular use of sunscreen leads to Vitamin D deficiency.

According to melanoma experts, these are worrying myths that could potentially lead to Australians putting themselves at increased risk of skin cancer.

"There is no evidence that sunscreen contains any ingredients that are bad for health," Associate Professor Stephen Shumack says.

There are calls for a national campaign to remind people how important it is to Slip, Slop, Slap - even when it's overcast.

UV ratings can still be very high when the weather is not sunny, and experts advise that an umbrella can be used as protection against both the rain and the sun.

Karen Van Gorp is one lucky survivor of melanoma and says one dose of bad sunburn can be all it takes.

"As soon as you have one blistering sunburn, your risk of a melanoma has been increased by 50 per cent," she says.