Poll reveals nearly half of UAE residents risk skin damage

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Poll reveals nearly half of UAE residents risk skin damage Many UAE residents are risking skin damage and cancer by failing to apply suncream, a top consultant has said, after a poll revealed that close to half never use it. 7DAYS asked readers how often they use suncream, with 43 per cent of the 503 respondents saying they “never” apply it. Around 31 per cent said they only “occasionally” do, 12 per cent say they apply it once a day and 13 per cent saying every time they go outside. Dr Anwar Al Hammadi, President of the Emirates Dermatology Society and head of dermatology at Rashid Hospital in Dubai, said the UAE often sees extreme UV conditions, even on cloudy days. A separate study of 800 patients conducted at the Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Centre in Dubai Healthcare City found that once per cent had early signs of malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. RELATED: Guide to sun screen protection for your skin Al Hammadi said: “Here in the UAE we have sun throughout the year, even in winter or cloudy weather, UV rays are exposed to the skin, and using sunscreen safeguards the skin from many different diseases and skin conditions.” People exposed to UV rays without protection are also prone to early ageing of skin and discolouration, he suggested. “It is very common in UAE to find people with skin problems due to lack of protection from the sun. It does not matter whether the weather is hot or cold, UV rays are a well-known trigger for skin conditions. Patients come in with hyperpigmentation, discolouring of skin and the sun is the most influential factors for these conditions. “Although the sun is very important for our body, it is also the biggest enemy to the skin.” The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recently said the its incidence of melanoma is rising “at a worrying rate, faster than any other cancer”. Al Hammadi said skin cancer patients often admit a failure to cover up or wear suncream in the past. He said: “When we try to find the cause of skin cancer, we realise that the patient exposed themselves to the sun unprotected for long durations, even tanning on the beach.” Among the reasons given for not wearing cream is often that it can be greasy, along with the misconception that people with darker skin need not use it. Al Hammadi said: “People with greasy or sensitive skin want to avoid using products on their face out of fear of pimples, and some men don’t want to use products at all. There is also a general misconception that the skin will be okay and does not need protection. What people don’t realise is there is a sunscreen for all skin types, there are water based non-oily sunscreens, physical sunscreen, water resistant sunscreen. “Another common misconception is the higher the SPF in a sunscreen, the better it is, however, a usual 30-50 SPF cream works just fine for dark and light skin.” Suncream needs to be applied every two hours, daily, suggested Al Hammadi. mahak@7days.ae Read the original story at: Poll reveals nearly half of UAE residents risk skin damage