65 MAIN ROAD, GREEN POINT
021 433 0128
65 MAIN ROAD, GREEN POINT
021 433 0128
The Western Cape has melanoma rates comparable to Australia but Australia has run national sun protection campaigns for forty years. We haven’t. Spring is here and the sun is strong, so this is worth three minutes of your time.
Melanoma is the 6th most prevalent cancer in South African men. It causes 65% of all skin cancer deaths worldwide. And it is, by most measures, almost entirely preventable. None of that is news.
What’s new is spring in South Africa – and the fact that the padel, the cycling, the hiking, and the morning runs along the promenade are all about to ramp up again.
The UV index in Cape Town is classified as extreme for most of the year. Not high. EXTREME. And when you’re being active outdoors, and sweating, your skin becomes more sensitive to UV radiation than when you’re sitting still.
Research on outdoor athletes is consistent: cyclists, runners, hikers, and racquet sport players show significantly elevated rates of UV-related skin damage compared to the general population. Most of them aren’t wearing sunscreen. They’re just getting fitter and more sun-damaged at the same time.
PADEL/TENNIS
the recommended daily UV
limit in a single session
CYCLING
cyclists who ride 7+ hours a week wear no sunscreen at all
HIKING
how long unprotected skin takes to start accumulating damage
Rugged and sun-damaged aren’t the same thing. They just end up looking similar, and one of them significantly increases your cancer risk.
The damage doesn’t require a burn. UVA rays go through glass, through clouds, and through skin without leaving a mark. The dark spots and uneven skin tone that start showing up in your 30s weren’t from last summer. They were from the ten summers before it, building up while you were getting on with your life.
Here’s the part men consistently underestimate:
MEN
more likely to develop melanoma
by age 65
WOMEN
same biology,
different behaviour
Men are also three times more likely to die from melanoma than women.
Not because their skin is worse, but because they do less about it and wait longer to have anything looked at.
Next time you’re at Saunders or Clifton scanning the talent around you (obviously!), the people who look significantly older than they probably are have usually just spent more years unprotected in this exact sun.
It’s not a great look. More importantly, it’s not a great outcome.
of men never use sunscreen on their face. Not even occasionally.
of men agree it’s necessary. Less than 15% actually use it daily.
of all skin cancer deaths worldwide are from melanoma.
The most common reason men give for not wearing sunscreen is that it feels greasy and unpleasant. That’s a product problem, not a sunscreen problem. A properly formulated clinical SPF feels nothing like the stuff on a pharmacy shelf – lightweight, non-greasy, designed for daily use including sport. We stock a few options at the practice worth trying.
On whether it’s too late – for most men reading this, it isn’t. Clinical chemical peels have published evidence for reducing precancerous skin changes caused by sun damage – removing abnormal cells before they can progress further. Microneedling and LED therapy support the skin’s own repair process at a deeper level, rebuilding what years of UV exposure have broken down.
None of this is a guarantee against skin cancer. But a skin assessment tells you what’s actually there, and what’s worth addressing before the next summer adds to it.
The consult is free, and it takes a mere 30 minutes. There’s no good reason to still be guessing.
BOOK A FREE SKIN CONSULTATION
Book a free skin assessment with Leandri, our Senior Dermal Aesthetician at Hermanos Aesthetics. A clinical look at where your skin actually stands – and what’s worth doing about it. WhatsApp us or book via Fresha.
Facts and figures in this article are drawn from peer-reviewed clinical research and published trichology literature. Sources available on request.
