Article shows difference in the skin of an elderly woman who used sunscreen on her face but not on her neck

For 40 years an elderly Austrian woman protected her face with sunscreen daily. The neck did not receive the same care and today, at the age of 92, it is possible to see the marked difference in the damage caused by the sun on the patient’s neck.

The impactful image that has gone viral in the international and national media in recent days is part of an article on skin cancer published in the Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in October 2021.

The work “Ageing research: rethinking primary prevention of skin cancer” was written by dermatologist Christian Posch, member of the department of dermatology and allergy at the School of Medicine. from the Technical University of Munich, Austria.

On Twitter, the study’s author commented on the photo’s impact on skin cancer awareness. “UV rays [ultravioleta] are one thing, getting older is another,” he wrote.

The researcher also asked people not to forget to read the entire original article, as it is not just about aging, but fighting the cancer that most affects humans, especially those with lighter skin.

According to the research, aging works as a “discreet and potent inducer of skin cancer” and “needs to be treated systematically to improve prevention” of the disease.

Porshe says in the paper that even with the potential to reduce incidence at unprecedented rates, prevention through sunscreen will not eliminate disease risk and “public health improvement measures to optimize tumor prevention at scale are needed.” “

The doctor also highlights the improvement of “personalized treatment strategies for individuals with active skin cancer” as fundamental to combating the disease.