An international team, led by Queensland University of Technology, has found that ultra-violet ray exposure during a person's first 18 years of life is the most critical for cancer-causing skin damage and skin ageing.
Team leader Prof Michael Kimlin said while people aged over 50 had the slowest rate of skin degradation, results indicated that damage still occurred even at that age, so lifetime sun protection was important.
The study used a unique, non-invasive "UV camera", which took images of skin damage and aging invisible to the naked eye, to measure the relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin cancer risk.
Prof Kimlin said the majority of skin damage occurred in the early years of sun exposure, with a much slower increase in damage in subsequent years over the age of 50.
"We looked at how age impacted on the skin damage we saw and found it's not a simple one to one relationship. The message from this research is to look after your skin when you are a child and teenager to prevent wrinkles and skin damage.
"Sun protection when you are young sets you on a lifetime of good skin health," Prof Kimlin said in a varsity release.
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For their study, the researchers analysed 180 people, aged 18 to 83 years old, who were imaged with the UV camera and interviewed to determine the level of their sun exposure. The study measured hyperpigmentation of the skin to determine level of damage and wrinkles to indicate skin ageing.
Prof Kimlin said using the UV camera meant people's skin could be examined for skin cancer risk factors without an invasive biopsy.