A new survey has found that thousands of young holidaymakers are avoiding sunscreen because they believe it is uncool to go home without a tan. Nearly one in five,in the age group of 16 to 24,said they never apply the cream while abroad and nearly half confess to lying in the sun for hours on end,the study found. One in ten young people questioned by the Teenage Cancer Trust said covering up on the beach was 'uncool',a media report said. And about a quarter of people of all age groups said they would be disappointed to come back from holiday without a tan. But this rises to 40 per cent among 16-24 year olds. Health campaigners,however,have warned that the refusal by young women in particular to cover up is the reason why malignant melanoma - a form of skin cancer - is now the number one cancer among their age group. Simon Davies,chief executive of the Teenage Cancer Trust,warned that sun damage suffered when young could lead to skin cancer in later life. It takes just a few moments to apply sun cream or wear some form of a cover up. Those few moments could save someone the heartache of a skin cancer diagnosis, he said.
