Sunscreen applied at ≥ 2 mg cm −2 during a sunny holiday prevents erythema, a biomarker of ultraviolet radiation‐induced DNA damage and suppression of acquired immunity
Open accessAbstract
Sun protection factor (SPF) is assessed with sunscreen applied at 2 mg cm−2. People typically apply around 0·8 mg cm−2 and use sunscreen daily for holidays. Such use results in erythema, which is a risk factor for skin cancer. To determine (i) whether typical sunscreen use resulted in erythema, epidermal DNA damage and photoimmunosuppression during a sunny holiday, (ii) whether optimal sunscreen use inhibited erythema and (iii) whether erythema is a biomarker for photoimmunosuppression in a laboratory study. Holidaymakers (n = 22) spent a week in Tenerife (very high ultraviolet index) using their own sunscreens without instruction (typical sunscreen use). Others (n = 40) were given SPF 15 sunscreens with instructions on how to achieve the labelled SPF (sunscreen intervention). Personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure was monitored electronically as the standard erythemal dose (SED) and erythema was quantified. Epidermal cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) were determined by immunostaining, and immunosuppression was assessed by contact hypersensitivity (CHS) response. There was no difference between personal UVR exposure in the typical sunscreen use and sunscreen intervention groups (P = 0·08). The former had daily erythema on five UVR‐exposed body sites, increased CPDs (P < 0·001) and complete CHS suppression (20 of 22). In comparison, erythema was virtually absent (P < 0·001) when sunscreens were used at ≥ 2 mg cm−2. A laboratory study showed that 3 SED from three very different spectra suppressed CHS by around ~50%. Optimal sunscreen use prevents erythema during a sunny holiday. Erythema predicts suppression of CHS (implying a shared action spectrum). Given that erythema and CPDs share action spectra, the data strongly suggest that optimal sunscreen use will also reduce CPD formation and UVR‐induced immunosuppression.
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DNA damage can be repaired by photolytic enzymes, while UV-induced skin DNA damage can be prevented by applying sunscreen.
“DNA damage can be repaired by photolytic enzymes, while UV-induced skin DNA damage can be prevented by applying sunscreen [36,37].”
From Diet and Skin Aging—From the Perspective of Food Nutrition (2020) · cites this paper as [37]
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- Authors
- Narbutt, J., Philipsen, P. A., Harrison, G. I., Morgan, K. A., Lawrence, K. P., Baczynska, K. A., Grys, K., Rogowski‐Tylman, M., Olejniczak‐Staruch, I., Tewari, A., Bell, M., O'Connor, C., Wulf, H. C., Lesiak, A., & Young, A. R.
- Affiliations
- Medical University of Lodz (PL)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- King's College London (GB)
- Public Health England Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards Chilton, Didcot OX11 0RQ U.K.
- Dermoklinika Centrum Medyczne Łódź 90‐436 Poland
- Walgreens Boots Alliance (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Young, A.R.
- ORCID
- Venue
- British Journal of Dermatology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2018-12-05
- Volume
- 180
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 604-614
- ISSN
- 0007-0963 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2133
- OpenAlex
- W2896044068
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 5.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- British Journal of Dermatology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- FP7 Environment (227020)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Skin Protection and Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › melanin and skin pigmentation
- Keywords
- sunscreen use, erythema, ultraviolet radiation, sun protection factor, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, photoimmunosuppression, contact hypersensitivity, skin cancer risk, action spectrum
- MeSH terms
- Adult, DNA Damage, Erythema, Female, Holidays, Humans, Immune Tolerance, Male, Middle Aged, Skin Neoplasms, Spain, Sunlight, Sunscreening Agents, Adaptive Immunity, Sun Protection Factor
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