Adelina Timofte, Aleodor (Doru) Andea.
Statement of the Problem: With the recent increase in skin cancer
incidence and heightened public awareness regarding the deleterious
effects of sun exposure on skin, there is a surge in the use of sunscreen
products. Dermatologists and cosmetologists are often at the frontline
among other healthcare practitioners in recommending these products to
patients. However, there is little evidence-based knowledge about the
real efficacy of sunscreens in protecting against aging and skin
neoplasia. The purpose of this study is to examine the peer-reviewed
literature and perform a meta-analysis evaluating the protection offered
by various sunscreen formulations against skin cancers and sun-induced
aging.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A literature search was
conducted on PubMed with “sunscreen”, “aging” and various types of
skin cancers. The resulting abstracts were screened for relevance. For all
the relevant abstracts, the full text was retrieved and analyzed.
Conclusion & Significance: There is a huge discrepancy between public
perception of sunscreen efficacy and the real protection offered against
aging. SPF factor is especially misleading in providing a false sense of
security. Among various sunscreen preparations, the ones with physical
blockers are most effective. When used correctly, sunscreens offer
protection against common epidermal carcinomas such as squamous cell
carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. However, there is controversy
regarding the protection offered by sunscreens against melanoma, the
deadliest type of skin cancer. Some studies claim a protective effect
while others conclude that there is no difference or even that the use of
sunscreens puts someone at increased risk for melanoma. The
conclusions of this study are useful for medical practitioners such as
dermatologists in adjusting their recommendations to patients regarding
the use of sunscreens.
Share this article