The importance of sunscreen is hardly a secret anymore—it’s plastered all over magazines, discussed in doctors’ offices, and echoed on playgrounds nationwide. So why have skin cancer rates been climbing for the past three decades? Writer Jenna Rosenstein dives into this puzzling question in her article for Allure, “The Scary Causes Behind the Rise in Skin-Cancer Rates.”
Growing up in sunny Florida, Rosenstein admits to being a “shade-loving vampire.” Her fear of the sun stems from her mother’s early battle with skin cancer, which is the most prevalent form of cancer in the U.S. “I wore her diagnosis like a permanent wide-brimmed hat throughout my childhood,” she reflects, aware that her own risk of developing skin cancer was significant.
Despite understanding the importance of sun protection, she’s baffled by why her friends, who are equally informed, still hit the beach without sunscreen or spend hours basking in tanning beds. The answer, it seems, might have to do with our brain’s favorite feel-good chemicals: endorphins. “When someone regularly tans,” Rosenstein explains, “they’re hooked on that warm, happy feeling.”
Research from Brenda Cartmel, a scientist at Yale School of Medicine, reveals that tanning can trigger brain changes akin to those seen in addictive behaviors.
Like Rosenstein, I also prefer to stay out of the sun—mostly because my fair skin turns into a lobster at the slightest hint of UV rays. I like to call myself a “shade enthusiast,” but I have been known to venture out in a billowy white shirt, sarong, and oversized floppy hat. Often, I feel like the odd one out at the beach, wondering why others seem to revel in getting a “little sun.” Perhaps they’re enjoying a rush, while I’m left nursing a sunburn.
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In summary, while we all know the risks associated with too much sun, the allure of tanning may be harder to resist than we think, potentially due to its addictive nature.