Dermatological skin care brand La Roche-Posay and the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) have hit the road to educate consumers about the effects of sun damage and the early signs of skin cancer.
For the third year running, the Be Sun Aware Mole and Sun Advice Roadshow will tour the country giving members of the public the chance to find out how to protect themselves effectively in the sun and have moles checked over by an on-site dermatologist. La Roche-Posay will also give away sample sizes of sunscreen from its Anthelios XL range.
The roadshow coincides with Sun Awareness Week, which takes place from 6-12 May. To mark the start of Sun Awareness Week, the BAD released new statistics, based on last year’s roadshow event. The statistics revealed that out of the 1,350 people that attended the show, only 50% of people identified their skin colour correctly putting them risk of developing skin cancer. The survey also found that the desire for tanned skin is increasing, despite public health warnings against sunbathing. There was also high levels of confusion over the difference between UVA ratings and SPF protection. Only 38% of respondents knew that SPF is what predominantly protects against sunburn, and only 39% knew that UVA protection prevents against skin ageing, not SPF.
Dr Bav Shergill from BAD said: “It is a concern that so many people think their skin is darker and tans more easily than is actually the case, as these people are likely to be spending longer in the sun than they should. I think this could be contributing to the increasing numbers of skin cancer cases I see in my clinics. We also need to address the misconception that a base tan is a good way of protecting against sunburn as this view is still very prevalent among men in particular.”
The roadshow started its tour on 2 May at Potters Field Park in London Bridge, before moving to Carnaby Street in central London on 3 May. It will then visit the Isle of Wight Festival, Hampshire, from 13-16 June; the Latitude Festival, Suffolk, from 18-21 July; and finally the Boardmasters Festival of Music and Surfing, Cornwall, from 7-11 August.
