Comprehensive Summary
The following study investigates whether AI-based facial skin aging simulation can motivate healthier UV-protection behaviors and reduce risk-taking attitudes towards tanning. Conducted at the University Hospital of Basel, this single-center, prospective, observational pilot study enrolled 60 healthy young female participants with a mean age of 23.6 years. Participants’ facial photographs were captured using the VISIA-CR camera, and an AI-driven simulation of facial aging up to age 80 was presented. Before and after viewing their simulated-aged images, participants completed detailed questionnaires on tanning habits, sunscreen use, and UV risk perception, with a follow-up survey conducted 2 years later. The results revealed significant behavior shifts: 91.7% of participants reported stronger motivation to reduce UV exposure, and perceived personal UV risk increased markedly (p<0.001). The preference for SPF 50+ sunscreens rose from 30% pre-intervention to 46.7% post-intervention, and to 60% after two years. Nearly all participants (96%) reported maintaining improved UV-protection habits in the long term.
Outcomes and Implications
The analysis demonstrates that AI-assisted skin aging simulation can serve as a powerful, appearance-based intervention for primary skin cancer prevention. By allowing individuals to visualize premature aging, the intervention effectively shifts perception from a distant health risk to an immediate aesthetic impact, a crucial psychological driver of behavior change among young adults. The sustained behavioral improvements observed at two years suggest that AI-supported educational tools can generate lasting preventative effects. This approach could complement traditional health campaigns by targeting emotion and visual engagement, increasing sunscreen use, and reducing tanning frequency among at-risk populations. While the pilot’s single-center design and homogenous cohort limit generalizability, its success highlights the public health potential of scalable, personalized, AI-driven prevention campaigns. Future work integrating similar simulations into mobile health applications could promote broader adoption and deliver cost-effective, digitally enhanced strategies for reducing skin cancer incidence worldwide.