TikTok ‘influencers’ anti-sunscreen claims debunked by Hawaii medical experts
By Cynthia Yip
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HONOLULU (KITV) — A new social media trend is encouraging people to avoid using sunscreen, claiming that it is unnecessary and even harmful. With millions of views and widespread influence, these videos have experts sounding the alarm.
This trend is rapidly gaining traction on social media platforms with influencers promoting the idea that sunscreen is ineffective or even bad for skin and health. But here in Hawaii, we are exposed to a lot of sun. Medical experts are strongly refuting these claims.
Dr. Ryan Sato is a board-certified Dermatologist in Honolulu.
“I definitely do think it can be dangerous where there does seem to be a lot of misinformation regarding sunscreen and skin cancer and does sunscreen cause skin cancer. We do know that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. And we do know that sunscreen it’s a good tool to help prevent us from getting skin cancer,” Sato said.
Ann Struthers had a skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma that a doctor removed a year ago. She now daily wears sunscreen and stays in the shade when it is too sunny.
“I always put sunscreen on you know. I always say put it on every day. If I’m just going out maybe for like an hour, I go and always…think I’m gonna be in some shade but I mean, there’s so many nice sunscreens now like for the face where it’s not super greasy. So yeah, just wear it all the time and or wear a hat if you like that better,” Struthers said.
Some in Hawaii were raised by parents who do not use sunscreen like Waipahu resident Abcde Balisacan.
“But just like being raised on not wearing sunscreen. It’s like, I don’t really care. But I’ve also seen like, you know, the before and after photos of people not wearing sunscreen and people who do wear sunscreen. So kind of got me thinking about that,” Balisacan said.
“Sometimes we weren’t taught to use sunscreen and it’s just not in our inherent nature or what our family did. But unfortunately, I do see a lot of older patients that they say oh, we never had sunscreen and unfortunately, these patients that we see them with a lot of skin cancers later in life,” Sato warned.
These social media influencers argue that natural exposure to sunlight is beneficial and that sunscreen chemicals are toxic.
“I think we need to keep in mind that not all chemicals are bad. That water is a chemical, but it’s still good for us. And for example, let’s say if I had diabetes, that I take medication or chemicals so you know, hopefully prevent me from getting really sick. But if I drank a lot of orange juice, like a gallon orange juice, that’s all natural, but that’s not healthy for me to be drinking that much sugar,” Sato said.
Sato suggests use a broad-spectrum sunscreen which means protection against UVA and UVB with an SPF of at least 30 even on cloudy days and if you are active or go in the water make sure it is water resistant.
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