Reclaiming the Truth About Sunscreen and Skin Cancer
Dr Victor Czerkasij’s session, “Skin Cancer Prevention and Sunscreen,” challenged attendees to take sunscreen skepticism seriously, especially in the social media era.
With an estimated 212,000 new melanoma cases expected in 2025 and rising misinformation online, this call to action is urgent. “There is no such thing as a safe tan,” Dr Czerkasij stated plainly. “Burned or tanned is still damaged skin.”
Dr Czerkasij traced tanning culture’s roots to fashion icon Coco Chanel, but made clear that what was once glamour is now danger. He shared that “1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer,” with fair-skinned populations at even higher risk.
Even more disturbing? The rise of DIY dermatology. From “tantouring” to mole shaving with razors, TikTok has become a hotbed of harmful skin care trends. “The same people who use SPF 4 tanning oil are now worried about benzene in sunscreen,” he noted, highlighting the paradox of public concern.
Today’s youngest adults are getting sunburned and getting bad advice. Dr Czerkasij pointed to recent data showing a staggering 75% of social content on skin health is created by non-medical influencers.
“The most obvious fact of all: We know that the sun causes skin cancer,” he said. “Sunscreen has never been found to cause skin cancer.”
He underscored the importance of provider-led education and modeling sun-safe behavior, especially given how early habits can shape lifelong risk.
Dr Czerkasij offered clear, practical sunscreen guidance:
• Choose broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher
• Apply 15 minutes before sun exposure
• Reapply every 2 hours (or after sweating or swimming)
• Use 1 ounce per full-body application (a shot glass full)
And while supplements like nicotinamide and polypodium leucotomos may offer supportive benefits, “nothing replaces a topical barrier,” he emphasized.
Reference
Czerkasij V. Skin cancer prevention and sunscreen. Presented at: Masterclasses in Dermatology APP Institute; October 11–12, 2025; Dallas, TX.
© 2025 HMP Global. All Rights Reserved.
Any views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and/or participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, policy, or position of The Dermatologist or HMP Global, their employees, and affiliates.
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