You may often hear the recommendation to use sunscreen for children and adults. Using sunscreen is important to prevent skin damage from sun exposure, which can cause skin changes such as sunburn, skin discoloration, and signs of premature aging.

But what about the elderly? Do they still need sunscreen for outdoor activities?

Does the Elderly Still Need Sunscreen?

According to a report from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), many elderly people do not use sunscreen when doing outdoor activities for a long time when the sun is shining brightly. This can increase their risk of developing skin cancer. Moreover, seniors over the age of 65 have a higher risk of developing skin cancer than other younger age groups.

Most cases of skin cancer are found in the elderly over the age of 65. According to the CDC, data compiled by the United States Cancer Statistics in 2018 shows that the number of new cases of melanoma (a type of skin cancer) continues to increase, with the highest age group affected by skin cancer being 80-84 years old. This needs to be a concern because the risk of skin cancer can be reduced from a young age by using sunscreen.

Therefore, the use of sunscreen is recommended to be used early and regularly and should continue to be used as age increases. For this reason, the elderly should use sunscreen that is suitable for their skin type and activities. In addition to sunscreen, some ways to reduce skin damage due to sun exposure can be done by wearing long clothes, hats, and sunglasses when outdoors or taking shelter when the weather is hot.

Dangers of Ultraviolet Light Exposure to Skin

The main purpose of using sunscreen is to avoid skin exposure to sunlight. Sunlight is the largest source of UV radiation, UV rays can be classified into 3, namely UVA (longest wave), UVB (medium wave), and UVC (shortest wave). In the sunlight entering the earth's atmosphere, there are UVA and UVB rays, each of which can interfere with skin health.

On the skin, exposure to UVA rays can cause sunburn and browning. These rays attack the deep skin layers until they penetrate the dermis layer of the skin. Side effects that can be seen in the long run are signs of premature aging such as wrinkles and an increased risk of skin cancer.

Meanwhile, UVB rays, which have medium energy and wave strength, can attack the outermost layer of the skin. In the short term, UVB exposure can cause sunburn, blistering, and browning of the skin. In the long term, UVB exposure can also cause skin cancer and premature aging.

Tips for Choosing Sunscreen for the Elderly

In choosing sunscreen, especially for the elderly, there are several factors to consider such as skin type, skin condition, type of sunscreen, active ingredients added in sunscreen, and the amount of SPF.

Generally, the SPF on sunscreen varies, ranging from 15 to 50 and above. For everyday use, you can use sunscreen with an SPF of 30. If you spend a long time outdoors and receive strong sun exposure then you should use SPF 50.

You also need to consider your skin type. The elderly generally have drier skin so the recommended type of sunscreen is cream-based. 

Elders still need sunscreen to protect their skin from sun damage. Choose the type of sunscreen that suits your skin type and activity. If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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