“Preparing” your skin for the sun: preconceived ideas to forget

There's plenty of advice, especially on social media, that's supposed to help us achieve a perfect tan this summer. But beware, there are a lot of misconceptions, even dangerous ones. Let's start with artificial UV rays: 20% of French people believe that self-tanning sessions before summer reduce the risk of getting sunburned, according to an IPSOS survey .

Quite the opposite: "20 minutes of tanning in a booth is equivalent to a day of tropical sun on the skin," according to the National Union of Dermatologists. With the added bonus of a high risk of developing skin cancer . These artificial UV rays have been classified as "definitely carcinogenic to humans" since 2009.

The idea behind taking dietary supplements is to darken your skin a little before sunbathing. But you have to see what's in these supplements. Generally, they're carotene-based colorants. You'll have the illusion of being a little tanned, but your skin won't produce more melatonin, a sun-protective hormone. So you'll still be at just as much risk when you expose yourself. Worse, if you take these dietary supplements in high doses, you'll have an increased risk of lung cancer.

Clearly, "there is no way to prepare the skin for the effects of the sun," says Professor Claude Linassier, director of the Prevention, Organization, and Care Pathways Unit at the National Cancer Institute.

It's important to understand that there's no such thing as a "healthy tan." Tanning is the skin's reaction to an attack: natural or artificial UV rays. Tanned skin is actually damaged skin; it's our very DNA that's damaged.

According to figures from Public Health France, 80% of skin cancers are caused by excessive UV exposure. Bottom line: Don't waste your money on sunbeds or dietary supplements. Instead, invest in several tubes of sunscreen and protective clothing for this summer.