It’s important for our teens to know about sunscreen, the risks of skin cancer, and how to protect themselves. However, the latest data reinforces what parents already experience: that knowing is only half the battle.
Even when teens know that sun exposure increases the risk of serious cancers and has long-term consequences, that awareness has to battle other priorities and feelings, and in adolescence, those risks don’t feel as real and present as the positives they perceive.
This doesn’t mean parents are powerless to protect our teens from sun danger, though.
Knowledge & Perception Aren’t Always The Same
Even when your teens know, academically, that too much sun exposure is dangerous, their decisions may still be based more on the level of danger they perceive or feel, rather than what they could recite back to you.
A new study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention finds that teens make their sunscreen decisions largely based on current feelings and perceived rewards (such as a tan), rather than on information about risks.
Students were asked about their knowledge of skin cancer prevention; their feelings about the “cost” (inconvenience, discomfort, etc) of applying sunblock; their perception of the “benefit” of tanning; and their own behaviors (time spent outdoors and methods used to protect against UV rays).
Low knowledge of sun safety was shown to be one factor in high-risk sun-exposure behavior, but more prominent factors were teens’ feeling that sunblock was highly inconvenient and that tanning was beneficial.
How Important Is Sunblock, Anyway?
Sunscreen is important any time your child will be exposed to UV rays. Since UV rays pass through clouds, sunscreen should be used even on days when there doesn’t seem to be much sun.
Sunscreen comes in many types, including lotions, gels, sprays, and rub-on sticks. Check our guide for advice on choosing the right sunscreen for kids based on age and needs.
For prolonged exposure, such as summer afternoons spent outside, the importance of UV protection is amplified. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reports that a single severe sunburn has drastic impacts.
“Research shows it only takes one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence to nearly double a person’s risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, later in life. In addition, tanning from the sun, tanning beds, and sun lamps all have UV radiation, which increases your risk of skin cancer.”
In short, UV protection can greatly reduce the risk of your teen suffering melanoma. Tanning has risks, and getting sunburnt has more severe risks.
What Do Teens Get Wrong About Sun Protection?
Even when kids have good information about skin cancer and UV protection, they still make decisions based on their own priorities rather than on the most accurate assessments of risk and benefit.
However, teens and young adults often encounter misinformation about these and other health and safety topics, and many lack reliable information. In 2022, the AAD found that among adults between the ages of 18 and 25, almost half (49%) didn’t know that it’s possible to be sunburned on a day with cloudcover; over a third (39%) thought that using a higher SPF meant that it could be applied less frequently, and more than a quarter (27%) actually believed that getting a base tan reduced the risk of skin cancer.
One thing that might get through to current teens, though, is that more than half (53%) of those young adults said they wished they’d taken more steps to protect themselves from sun damage when they were younger.
How Can Parents Influence Teens To Make Safer Sun Choices?
Teens cite the inconvenience of sunscreen and the desire to have an attractive tan as primary reasons to skip UV protection, so these are the factors parents need to counter.
Parents should make sure teens know that even if tans are considered visually appealing, tanning isn’t actually healthy and safe. Skin damage from UV exposure is cumulative, so your teen should ideally avoid tanning beds and intentional sunbathing to bake.
That said, if your teen does plan to spend time in the sun, UV protection is necessary, so make it as convenient as possible. This means addressing issues of discomfort, time investment, and access.
If your teen doesn’t like how a particular brand or type of sunscreen feels, try another, then another, until you find one your kid is comfortable with.
If possible, give your teen another reason to leave the pool or pause their activities every hour or so, so that reapplying sunscreen isn’t a disruption in itself, but just one task to be done during a pause. (Some pools, for instance, have a break every hour, or you can call everyone to take a break in the shade for lemonade and sunscreen at the 90-minute mark. Anything that makes protecting their skin more convenient!)
Start normalizing sunscreen application early, so that it’s a typical part of their routine by their teen years.
Finally, make sure sunscreen is readily available. Put a bottle in their bag, keep a bottle near the beach or pool accessories, and provide sunscreen during sports.
Most of all, keep talking to your kids about the importance of protecting their skin. Knowledge alone won’t protect them, but it can help.
