I'm putting this post in the conspiracy section because...well, it's cheaper, but also - it really does seem that there's a concerted propaganda effort to push skin cancer fears, and push yearly (or more!) skin checks by dermatologists, and heavy use of sunscreen.
Check out these articles:
New York Times article: Answers To All Your Burning Questions About Sunscreen
https://archive.vn/IitH4
New York Times article: What Gen Z Gets Wrong About Sunscreen
https://archive.vn/bwuDL
They're full of propaganda about sun exposure:
Young adults are often unaware of what sun damage looks like and how best to prevent it, Dr. Shive said. She said she recently saw a young patient who didn’t know tan skin and freckles were signs of sun damage.
The average adult needs about one ounce of sunscreen to cover all exposed skin. “We often say a shot glass of sunscreen for the whole body,” said Dr. Jenna Lester, an associate professor of dermatology at the U.C. San Francisco School of Medicine, “but I tell my patients to fill the shot glass up to the brim and use even more if needed so you don’t miss any spots.”
Really? Freckles are a sign of sun damage? The only places on my body that don't have freckles are those that never, ever see the sun.
The substack auther A Midwestern Doctor (https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/) has a great article on this topic, which goes in depth on the conspiracy aspects of it [Dermatology's Disastrous War Against The Sun] (https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/dermatologys-disastrous-war-against). Here's a few quotes from that article:
Skin cancers are by far the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, so to prevent them, the public is constantly told to avoid the sun. However, while the relatively benign skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, the ones responsible for most skin cancer deaths are due to a lack of sunlight.
This is unfortunate because sunlight is arguably the most important nutrient for the human body, as avoiding it doubles one’s rate of dying and significantly increases their risk of cancer.
A strong case can be made that this dynamic was a result of the dermatology profession (with the help of a top PR firm) rebranding themselves to skin cancer fighters, something which allowed them to become one of the highest paying medical specialities in existence. Unfortunately, despite the billions that is put into fighting it each year, there has been no substantial change in the number of skin cancer deaths
I don't use sunscreen anymore, and I haven't for a year or so now. It's part of my general skepticism towards the heavily advertised "it's for your health" and "but you'll get cancer" propaganda that we've been subject to.
Once you start being aware of it, you see what people are influenced to do by the propaganda. For instance - absolutely slathering themselves and their kids in sunscreen, to the point that they're these white masked creatures.
Also - I heard from a friend of mine that after a long, coast to coast bike ride, slathered in sunscreen every day, she got a very strong reaction from the sunscreen, and can't wear it without her skin getting raw and red.
So now, I sun myself regularly (when it's not too hot out). And in situations where I would have previously worn sunscreen, I skip it, or just wear a hat, and maybe a long-sleeved shirt. And if I'm out in the sun for a long time, say on a long hike, I'll use an umbrella, which incidentally can be very effective in preventing overheating.