These fear tactics can be detrimental. According to Cancer Research UK, melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women in the UK. Skin cancer incidence rates increase steadily from age 20 to 24 in women, where diagnosis is 2.7 times higher than among men in this age group. When it comes to sunscreen, experts agree that it is imperative to protect your skin. “Getting sunburnt once every two years can triple your risk of melanoma — the type of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body and kill you,” says GP and founder of MBE Wellness, Dr Thomas Matthew. “Any sun exposure, even when it’s cloudy overhead and raining (the UV rays still come through, although not as intensely), increases the risk of skin cancer and other sun-related skin damage, for example wrinkles and solar keratoses [rough patches of skin caused by sun exposure].” Up to 80% of UV rays can penetrate cloud cover, according to a report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. There is even some research which suggests that cloudy days can actually increase UV radiation and subsequently skin damage.
