Four misconceptions about tanning, sunburns and their effects on the skin
Each year, between 140,000 and 245,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in France, with 85% linked to excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Given that the dangers of sun exposure are a major public health issue, Professor Caroline Robert, head of the dermatology unit at the Gustave-Roussy Cancer Center in Villejuif (Paris region), goes over a few persistent myths about tanning and the sun's effects on our bodies.
'Sunburns help you tan better afterwards'
Getting sunburned is never a good thing: It is an inflammation of the skin caused by too much or too intense exposure to UV rays. When exposed to UVB rays – which make up 95% of the UV rays from the sun that reach the Earth's surface – the body produces melanin as a defense mechanism. This pigment, which not only colors the skin (between 48 and 72 hours after exposure) but also absorbs or reflects the rays, is part of how the body reacts to sun exposure. Tanning is a defensive response to sun damage. But beyond a certain threshold (which varies by skin type), UVB rays burn the epidermis and cause damage and mutations to the DNA of skin cells: This is sunburn.
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LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
Four misconceptions about tanning, sunburns and their effects on the skin
Amid concerning trends on social media that encourage people to sunbathe without protection to better show off their tan lines, French Health Minister Yannick Neuder issued a public warning mid-summer. "'Sun tattoo', 'burn lines', 'tan lines' (...) Don't sacrifice your skin for 30 seconds of buzz online," he warned in a video posted on Instagram on July 28. "Sunbathing without sunscreen or any protection − sometimes wearing oil or monoï − or getting a temporary tattoo on your skin by getting sunburned: All of this needs to stop, it's very dangerous," he said. Each year, between 140,000 and 245,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in France, with 85% linked to excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Given that the dangers of sun exposure are a major public health issue, Professor Caroline Robert, head of the dermatology unit at the Gustave-Roussy Cancer Center in Villejuif (Paris region), goes over a few persistent myths about tanning and the sun's effects on our bodies. 'Sunburns help you tan better afterwards' Getting sunburned is never a good thing: It is an inflammation of the skin caused by too much or too intense exposure to UV rays. When exposed to UVB rays – which make up 95% of the UV rays from the sun that reach the Earth's surface – the body produces melanin as a defense mechanism. This pigment, which not only colors the skin (between 48 and 72 hours after exposure) but also absorbs or reflects the rays, is part of how the body reacts to sun exposure. Tanning is a defensive response to sun damage. But beyond a certain threshold (which varies by skin type), UVB rays burn the epidermis and cause damage and mutations to the DNA of skin cells: This is sunburn.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
What's driving the rise in STIs among older Europeans?
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are not exclusively a problem of young people. Young adults in their 20s and 30s usually top the charts for common bacterial STIs such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis – but rates among those in midlife and beyond are climbing in parts of Europe. According to a 2024 report from the United Kingdom's Health Security Agency, there has been a 'steady increase' in STI diagnoses among people aged 65 years and older in recent years. There were 1,649 gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis diagnoses among older Britons in 2023, up from 576 in 2014 – a nearly threefold increase. In France, meanwhile, gonorrhoea and syphilis incidence rose more sharply in people over 50 than in younger adults between 2021 and 2023. Chlamydia also rose among men over 50, according to the French public health agency. In Denmark, men aged 50 and above saw some of the largest increases in gonorrhea cases from 2022 to 2023. And across the European Union, people aged 45 and older accounted for 32 per cent of all syphilis cases in 2023. Infections like gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis are bacterial STIs which can be cured with antibiotics, unlike herpes and HIV, which are lifelong viral infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Why are STI cases rising among older adults? The uptick does not appear to be slowing down. According to a study from the University of Manchester in the UK, the number of STI diagnoses is expected to continue rising among older people in England through at least 2040. The study authors said it is not clear what's driving this trend, but that the ageing population and growing number of diagnoses could translate to rising treatment costs for STIs in the coming years. Other experts say that because women often outlive men, they may look for new partners later in life. Meanwhile, sexual performance drugs such as Viagra have given some older men a chance to re-engage in sex later in life. Older adults may also have little knowledge about how different types of STIs are transmitted or how to prevent them from spreading, particularly given they are safe from the risk of unintended pregnancies, one small study concluded. Destigmatising STIs in older adults Experts say both health care professionals and the public should consider the sexual health needs of older people. 'There is a common misconception that older adults do not have sex, they don't want to have sex, or they cannot have sex,' said Matthew Smith, a Texas A&M professor focused on older adults' health at Texas A&M University in the United States. 'And unfortunately, those misconceptions can lead to a lack of communication, a lack of speaking with health care providers, a lack of talking to partners about safer sex practices like using condoms or sharing partners,' he added. Whether they are widowed, divorced, or simply seeking companionship, Smith said older adults should ask potential new partners about their sexual history, use of contraception, and STI testing – topics he said are 'not necessarily something routine among older adults'. Smith said doctors should also discuss sexual health with their patients, given 'we are sexual beings across the life course'. 'It's something that oftentimes is shied away from, in conversation,' he said. 'There's a little bit of stigma based on [their] age, where not everybody likes to envision that age group engaging in these behaviours'.
AFP
3 days ago
- AFP
Doctors say tetanus still merits vaccination, despite posts downplaying risks
"Tetanus is probably one of the most ridiculous vaccines ever," says the text in an image shared July 30, 2025 on Instagram. "Your chances of getting Tetanus are about the same as walking outta here and getting hit by a meteor." The claim, which also spread on Facebook and X, goes on to allege that applying peroxide to a wound will effectively eliminate the risk of infection and that tetanus "comes from the bowels of animals." "As long as you don't have a sheep or a cow in your house, I don't think you're in any danger," adds the text, which attributes the statement to neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, who has previously promoted misleading health claims. Image Screenshot of an Instagram post taken August 14, 2025 The posts come as experts say vaccine misinformation is rampant online and may be contributing to falling vaccination rates across the United States and Canada (archived here and here). In a June 2025 video announcing the elimination of funding for a global vaccine body, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. criticized "whole cell" DTP shots protecting against tetanus, diptheria and pertussis. AFP regularly debunks false vaccine claims and recently fact-checked posts that misled about the Vaxelis 6-in-1 shot, which protects against multiple diseases including tetanus. The claim that the risk of a tetanus infection is almost nonexistent, rendering the vaccines unnecessary, is similarly misleading. Deep wounds Tetanus is an acute infectious disease caused by spores of Clostridium tetani bacteria, according to the World Health Organization (archived here). The bacteria is anaerobic, meaning that after being dormant, it can thrive in environments devoid of oxygen (archived here). This characteristic makes deep wounds the perfect place for the spores to germinate. Barry Pakes, a public health specialist at the University of Toronto, said it is true that cleaning a shallow cut with peroxide or another antiseptic could kill off superficial tetanus-causing bacteria (archived here). "But that's not where the problem is," he said August 7. "The problem is when it gets almost injected into your tissue." He said the "classic" tetanus risk scenario of stepping on a rusty nail is so well known because these types of injuries push spores deep into the flesh, where topical solutions cannot reach them. Once deprived of oxygen, the bacteria begin releasing a toxin that causes tetanus symptoms such as headaches, fevers and seizures (archived here). "Then you become very, very ill and you can potentially die of it," Pakes said. "Like almost everything else, we don't see it often because of vaccination." As with most vaccines, tetanus shots train cells in the body to fortify an immunity response to a specific infection, preventing severe outcomes (archived here). Pakes said tetanus immunization works well in tandem with other vaccines, which is why there are combination shots such as the Vaxelis 6-in-1. Exposure risks Earl Rubin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Montreal Children's Hospital (archived here), agreed that vaccination remains necessary and said boosters are recommended roughly every ten years (archived here and here). They can also be administered when a patient comes in with a deep wound and potential exposure to tetanus-causing bacteria (archived here). Rubin also dismissed the claim that exposure to farm animals is the only way people can contract tetanus. "It's a bacteria that's found in the environment, so you don't have to be anywhere near an animal," he said. While the bacteria is found in animal feces, it is also dormant in soil, dust and objects like rusty nails, Rubin explained. AFP has fact-checked more health misinformation here.
