Millennials, Gen Xers Not Well-Schooled on Skin Cancer Prevention

This is why DermTech is developing a DTC skin and health wellness DNA risk assessment test and launching its Sun Regrets campaign.

Millennials and Gen Xers are racked with sun regrets, a new survey shows.

Just 19% of millennials and Gen Xers wear sunscreen all year, 35% used a tanning bed, and 46% regretted how long they stayed out in the sun when they were younger. 

This is why DermTech, Inc. is now developing a direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketed skin and health wellness DNA risk assessment test and launching its Sun Regrets campaign.

Respondents acknowledged they didn’t know much about skin cancer, with only 44% feeling knowledgeable about any type of skin cancer. Even fewer felt informed about nonmelanoma skin cancers basal cell carcinoma (only 16% felt knowledgeable) and squamous cell carcinoma (14%), or actinic keratosis (10%), the survey showed.

“This survey shows there is a lot of room for education when it comes to nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC),” says Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, board-certified dermatologist, clinical associate professor of dermatology, New York University Langone Medical Center,  in a news release. “The good news is that millennials and Gen Xers are concerned about how much sun they are getting, but they still aren’t following key steps to ensure they protect their skin, such as wearing sunscreen year-round and remembering to put sunscreen on all areas that are exposed to the sun. In fact, according to the survey, a majority missed applying sunscreen to key exposed areas, such as ears (25%), lips (14%), and scalp/hairline (13%). Applying adequate sunscreen to these areas can help cut their risk of NMSC.”

Sun Regrets: Respondents Have a Few

• Only 24% said they always or often wore sunscreen as a teenager and one in five never wore sunscreen in their teen years.
• Almost 30% of Gen X respondents never wear sunscreen.
• More women than men (30% vs. 23%) do not use sunscreen at all.
• Forty-three percent of respondents have used baby oil or tanning oil in the past.
• Two times more millennials than Gen X falsely believe tanning beds are safer than outdoor tanning (22% vs. 11%).
• Seventy-eight percent of all respondents have gone outside on a sunny day without sunscreen.

Skin Cancer Awareness Low

When presented with images of different types of skin lesions, one in three respondents were unable to distinguish between the major kinds of skin cancers and precancers, highlighting the need to educate Americans on how nonmelanoma skin cancer can look. Additional findings included:

• Only 36% knew an open sore that was slow to heal could be skin cancer.
• Only 37% of millennials and 45% of Gen Xers thought prolonged sun exposure could lead to precancerous lesions.
  • Overall, women were more aware than men that sun exposure over time can lead to precancerous lesions (47% vs. 33%).
• Twenty-nine percent were unlikely to get a skin cancer screening if they didn’t see notable changes in their skin.

“While respondents are aware of the different types of skin cancer, including basal and squamous cell carcinomas, respondents acknowledge that they aren’t as informed as they would like,” adds Loren Clarke, MD, board-certified pathologist and dermatopathologist, chief medical officer, DermTech. “As nonmelanoma skin cancer is one of the most common types of skin cancer, it is imperative that we build awareness of what skin cancers look like and how to prevent them. The Sun Regrets campaign is an important resource tool to boost Americans’ knowledge of these common forms of skin cancer.”

About the Survey

The random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 millennial (ages 26-41) and Gen X (ages 42-57) respondents was commissioned by DermTech and conducted between Oct. 31 and Nov. 11, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).