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SUN CARE INFO
By the time summer arrives, after a long winter spent more indoors, our bodies are starved for vitamin D (produced from sunlight). We love and crave sunlight -- but before you put on that swim suit and head for the beach, here are some things you should know about the sun, and about sunscreen.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that one in five Americans will be diagnosed with at least one type of skin cancer in his or her lifetime. The ACS also warns that skin cancer claims 67,000 lives a year in the U.S. We have compiled some facts and tips that we hope will help you from becoming one of these grim statistics.
Sun Basics
- Sunlight reaches us in heat waves called infrared, or invisible rays called ultraviolet (UV). Ultraviolet rays, in small amounts, act as a catalyst in the manufacturing of vitamin D in our bodies. Although some UV light is necessary for our well being, over-exposure can cause premature wrinkling, skin cancer, photokeratitis (age spots), and snowblindness.
- Our skin is made of an outer layer (epidermis), and an inner layer (dermis) that contain cells which produce melanin, a pigment that defends us against UV light. Tanning happens when the skin pumps out an abundance of melanin from overexposure to the sun.
- Although UV rays stimulate the production of melanin, research has shown that these rays also damage the DNA in our skin cells, putting us at higher risk for skin cancer and permanent eye damage. These chances increase at higher altitudes and lower latitudes. At higher elevations there is less a™osphere blocking sun rays. This is also true near the equator. The closer you are to zero degrees latitude, the stronger the UV rays. Water and snow also increase sun exposure by reflecting these harmful rays toward your skin from every angle.
- UV rays are divided into two categories: UV"A" (Aging) and UV"B" (Burning). Until recently, sunscreens guarded primarily against the UVB rays. While UVB rays are responsible for sunburn, researchers have clearly determined that UVA rays are just as dangerous, causing sagging, leathery skin (known as photo-aging ) as well as cancer and cataracts. Exposing your eyes extensively to UVB rays can burn the cornea, which fortunately has the ability to regenerate in about 7 days. Without recuperation time, however, you can permanently cloud or lose your vision entirely. Even more damaging to the eye are UVA rays that radiate past the cornea straight into the lens, forming sun cataracts from prolonged exposure. Unlike the cornea, the lens cannot regenerate itself, so reversing or halting the cataract forming process is impossible.
- Of skin cancers, the most dangerous is malignant melanoma, which appears as a black, blue-black or bleeding mole. Surgical removal of the mole offers a chance in eliminating its spread, but once melanoma spreads under the skin it is essentially incurable. The incidence of melanoma has risen 300 percent in the last 40 years in this country; 32,000 people are diagnosed with it annually.
- There are many ways the outdoor enthusiast can prevent accelerated aging and skin cancer. One way is to avoid the sun between the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when UVB rays are at their strongest. Another is to opt for a combination of smart dressing, planning, and using an appropriate sunscreen.
Sun Protection
- Most sun damage occurs within the first 10-20 minutes of exposure. This means that getting the mail, or chatting with a friend on the porch can put you at risk if you haven't applied protection before you leave the house. Remember that the paler your skin, the less melanin it has for absorbing UV rays, so doctors recommend applying sunscreen at least 20 minutes before you go outside. If you are using DEET and sunscreen, apply the sunscreen 20 minutes before, and then slap on the DEET.
- Most sunscreens work by absorbing the UV rays and preventing them from soaking into your skin, but they can hold only so many UV rays. The sun then starts counteracting sunscreen's function by breaking down some of its protective ingredients. You need to reapply sunscreen regularly: every 30 to 60 minutes. Remember that reapplying does NOT extend your safe exposure time, it only insures continuous coverage.
- SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, which represents an equation for determining how long it takes protected skin to burn, compared with unprotected skin. In laymen's terms, if you usually burn in 10 minutes, an SPF of 15 will provide 150 minutes of protection. Someone who burns at 25 minutes gets the same protection with an SPF 10 as a person who burns at 10 minutes gets with a SPF 25. Thus people with fair skin need to use a higher SPF and reapply more often than people with darker skin tones.
- Many sunscreens protect against only UVB rays, which burn the skin, misleading people into believing that they can stay in the sun longer at low risk. Although they are not burning their skin, people sunning are exposing themselves to the cancer-causing UVA rays for longer periods with greater long-term impact.
Sunscreen Ingredients
- Most sunscreen ingredients are there to protect against UVB rays. Since we now know that both UVB and UVA rays are harmful, your sunscreen should contain protective ingredients for both of the UV rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide block most of UVA, but aesthetically, this has not been the most appealing solution. Oxybenzone and benzophenone offer some UVA protection also. There is an new (and very expensive) ingredient that can protect against the full UVA spectrum: avobenzone (also known as Parsol 1789). We recommend that you look for avobenzone in any sunscreen designed specifically for the face (where most damage occurs).
- Sunscreens that offer partial protection against UVA rays are sometimes referred to as "Broad Spectrum." Products that protect against all UVA rays are called "Full Spectrum."
- The FDA requires that all sunscreens last 3 years. In reality, however, these protective chemicals can be altered by exposure to extreme heat or freezing cold, thereby lessening their effectiveness. We recommend that you buy new sunscreen each year to assure its potency.
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