Teens warned over sunburn dangers

Teenagers have been urged to take care of their skin in the sun after a poll found two in five have burned because they forgot to put sun cream on.

The survey for the Teenage Cancer Trust found 41% of 13-24-year-olds had burned after forgetting to apply sunscreen.

And across the UK, more than two 15-34-year-olds are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, making it the second most common cancer in the age group.

The poll of 1,000 teenagers and young adults also found 30% had burned after getting wet and not reapplying, while others suffered because they were out and had not taken sunscreen with them.

A fifth said they had burned after wanting to “tan quickly”.

The charity said youngsters need to take care of their skin by regularly applying sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and wearing a hat and sunglasses.

Natasha Brown was 23 when she was diagnosed with melanoma.

The HR worker, from Surrey, said: “I was just so shocked that I could get skin cancer at such a young age.

“I don’t think there is enough information out there for young people about the risks of not protecting yourself in the sun.

“I had no idea of the impact of a melanoma, or how quickly it could spread, or how invasive the surgery is.

“I would hate for anyone else to go through what I did.”

Susie Rice, head of education and awareness programmes at the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Melanoma is one of the most preventable cancers, so we want to get the message out that young people can enjoy the sun safely by following a few easy steps.”

Natasha Brown was diagnosed with melanoma.