Sunscreen use in U.S. teens has declined by 12 percent over the past 10 years.
While skin protection in this age group has dropped the amount of teens using indoor tanning facilities has remained largely the same. Both tanning beds and failure to use sunscreen are linked to dangerous skin cancers called melanomas, HealthDay reported.
"Unfortunately, we found a decrease in the overall percentage of teens who reported wearing sunscreen, from 67.7 percent in 2001 to 56.1 percent in 2011," lead researcher Corey Basch, an associate professor in the department of public health at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J, told HealthDay.
Researchers are not sure what has caused the general decline in sunscreen use among young people.
"High school years are important years that can impact the future," Basch said. "High school students are starting to make decisions for themselves. This research and other research suggest that adolescents continue to put themselves at risk."
Doctor Jeanine Daly, a dermatologist at North Shore-LIJ Health System is surprised at the drop in sunscreen use, and suggested messages about the link between tanning and skin cancer may not be getting through to teens.
"No matter how hard we've been trying to get that message out, we need to keep at it and work harder," she told HealthDay. "The bottom line is that skin cancer is largely preventable."
The doctor stressed the importance of using sunscreens that protect from both UVA and UVB rays as both can cause skin cancer. The sunscreen should contain zinc dioxide or titanium dioxide along with a chemical sunscreen; it should be applied every two hours.
"The most important thing to remember about sunscreen is that it doesn't last very long," Daly said."The average tube of sunscreen is usually only four to six ounces -- that should last maybe a day at the beach, but for a lot of people it lasts the entire season. We are just not using enough."
