Investigating skin age analysis to reduce tanning intentions among adolescents: A pilot study

Abstract

As skin cancer rates continue to rise, targeted efforts to reduce excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation are crucial. Adolescents are a high‐risk population for intentional tanning; thus, we sought to determine whether the novel use of skin age analysis with ultraviolet (UV) photography would be an effective tool for reducing intentions to tan in adolescents with a calculated skin age (measured by complexion analysis software) that exceeds their actual age. Surveying 85 students in this study, skin age difference above zero was associated with reduced intentions to tan (P = 0.006) and high‐risk sun exposure behaviors were identified. This provides rationale for skin age analysis as a potentially effective intervention in decreasing intentions to tan in this high‐risk young population.

A Sun Safety Pilot Program Using a Tanning Myths–Focused Video Contest for Utah Adolescents: Cross-sectional Analysis

“…Nevertheless, our findings suggest that although skin cancer prevention may be of importance for video contest participants, as implicated by increased sunscreen use intention, the desire to have tanned skin persists. This is in concordance with recent studies that used individualized appearance-based approaches, such as ultraviolet photography and age-enhancing software to promote photoprotective behaviors [10,[19][20][21][22]. Thus, future studies evaluating experiential learning methods, such as the video contest described herein, in conjunction with an appearance-based model, may show promise with this population.…”

“…We and others have previously shown that sun-protective behaviors decrease as children age [8][9][10]. Our current study confirms the critical need for continued sun-protective interventions in Utah's adolescent population: two-thirds had at least one sunburn within the past 2 years and nearly half reported intentional outdoor tanning within the past 2 years.…”