'I regret not wearing it when I was young': Lee Jung-jae urges sunscreen use amid skin condition

Actor Lee Jung-jae has opened up about a skin condition causing redness on his face, sharing his approach to skin care in the process.

A video titled "Lee Jung-jae Getting Ready to Go Out in Switzerland" was posted Wednesday on the YouTube channel of his agency, Artist Company.

In the video, Lee prepares to head out and says, "I need to go outside, so let me put on some sunblock." He adds that a skin condition on his face has not fully healed. "It's in the process of getting better, so I have to make sure I apply sunblock. Otherwise, I might get blemishes," he said.

He then said he had not worn sunscreen in his younger years and had gradually developed blemishes as a result. "These days I make sure to apply it whenever I can. I somewhat regret not doing so when I was young," he said.

Lee also said his skin turns severely red once or twice a year, and that fatigue tends to make it worse. He said he uses a base product to cover the redness when it flares up.

"At some point I started covering it a little — but only when it's this red," he said, adding that once his skin clears up he no longer needs the coverage, though he has been using it lately.

Lee's remarks on the importance of sun protection come as Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman has also spoken publicly about being diagnosed with skin cancer after excessive UV exposure, urging fans to use sunscreen.

Jackman appeared on the US radio program "The Howard Stern Show" last December and revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer roughly six times over the past several years.

"I grew up in Australia, where the sun is very strong, but I never wore sunscreen as a kid," he said, urging listeners to take extra care to apply sunscreen when going outdoors.

Jackman said he could not give up tanning even after his first diagnosis. "After being diagnosed, I still thought, 'Oh, it'd be nice to get a tan on vacation.' What was I thinking? I was an idiot," he said.

After having skin cancer removed from his nose for the first time in 2013, Jackman received treatment for the disease roughly four more times on his nose and shoulders. He was diagnosed again in 2017 and underwent testing for suspected symptoms once more in 2021.

The type of skin cancer he had is basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. It tends to develop in areas frequently exposed to UV rays, such as the face and neck, and is particularly common in the head and neck region, including the nose.

Compared with other forms of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma very rarely spreads to other organs, and the prognosis is generally good when the lesion is properly removed. However, it can invade surrounding tissue and may recur after treatment, making regular monitoring necessary.

Skin cancer involves multiple contributing factors, but excessive and repeated UV exposure is considered a primary risk. Prolonged UV exposure can damage the genetic material in skin cells, and the accumulation of such changes raises the risk of cancer.

People who spend a lot of time outdoors or face long-term sun exposure should take particular care. The high incidence of basal cell carcinoma in sun-exposed areas such as the head and neck is directly related to this pattern.

Sunscreen is not just a cosmetic tool for preventing blemishes and skin aging — it is a basic form of skin care that reduces damage from prolonged UV exposure. When choosing a sunscreen, checking the sun protection factor (SPF) is essential. For general outdoor activities, products with SPF 30 or higher are recommended.

Application should cover not only the face but also other sun-exposed areas, including the neck, arms and legs. The lips are no exception, as they are also vulnerable to UV rays — lip balms or lip glosses containing UV-blocking ingredients can help.

Sunscreen should be applied about 20 minutes before going outside to allow it to absorb properly. A single application does not last all day, so for extended outdoor activities, reapplication every two hours is advised.