Are You Truly Safe from UV?
Bright, sunny days and clear, healthy skin are two things that most everyone welcomes with open arms. But the glorious sun that brings a smile to your face and the sought-after tan to your body also has the potential to damage your skin, cause health problems, and even kill. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, specifically UVA and UVB, is considered to be one of the biggest factors in the development of skin cancer, the most common of all cancers. More than half of all newly diagnosed cancers are skin cancers, well over a million a year. Other potential dangers posed by sun exposure include:
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) susceptibility
- Macular degeneration
- Cataracts
Given these dangers, learning how to enjoy the nice weather while also protecting yourself from this radiation is vital to your health.
How Sun Savvy Are You?
Your first line of defense should be to focus on prevention. You may be taking precautions, but are you taking all the right steps? Take the quiz to test your skin protection savvy.
1. After playing volleyball for an hour on the beach, Susan jumps in the ocean to cool off. She wears a T-shirt to protect against sun damage. Will the T-shirt help protect her skin?
- Yes
- No
- Maybe
The correct answer is: Maybe.
Not all clothing protects the same, and some does not protect you at all. Research says that if you are relying on your clothes to protect you from the sun, there is a right way and a wrong way to dress. Wearing clothing helps to block the sun, but clothing alone may not be sufficient. For example, a regular white T-shirt provides a sun protection factor (SPF) of 6 or 7 at the most, and the SPF of a wet T-shirt is even lower. In other words, if you swim in a white T-shirt and think you are protected, you might just get burned. If you're planning on being outdoors, apply sunblock 15 minutes before you get dressed. Or, wear tightly woven fabric — polyester and rayon are better than cotton. Dark clothing blocks more UV light than light colors and mesh materials offer virtually no protection from the sun. You also should avoid swimming at midday when the sun is strongest.
2. Andre has an office job and is fairly pale. He occasionally goes hiking when the weather is nice and sometimes gets sunburned. Charlie, on the other hand, is always tan because he spends every morning outside on the golf course. Who runs a greater risk of having damaged skin?
- Andre
- Charlie
- Both the same
The correct answer is: Andre.
Although other risk factors such as family history and skin type increase the likelihood of developing cancer, Andre runs a greater risk of damaging his skin in this scenario. Many people think it's OK to get sunburned once in a while, but studies show that occasional exposures to intense UV rays, such as when you are at an increased altitude, are more closely linked to the development of melanoma than shorter everyday exposures to sunlight. Even if the total amount of UV exposure is the same, the weekend sunbather will have a greater risk of developing melanoma. A recent systematic review of case-control studies confirmed that intermittent sun exposure and sunburn at all ages were associated with an increased risk of melanoma. It also showed, however, that people exposed to sun through their work were at a reduced risk. With consistent protected exposure, the skin not only produces melanin, but its outer layers also thicken, limiting damage from further UV exposure. Such adaptive responses provide Charlie greater protection against cancer, but not against wrinkles.
3. Larry and Allison are playing softball. Larry applies a sunscreen with SPF 45 only at the beginning of the game. Allison applies an SPF 30 lotion after every couple innings. Whose skin is better protected?
- Larry
- Allison
- I'm not sure
The correct answer is: Allison.
Generally speaking, Allison's SPF 30 offers greater protection because she reapplied the lotion often. However, there are a variety of other factors that can influence the effectiveness of a sunblock. When shopping for sunscreen, look for a broad spectrum product that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Certain ingredients are better than others. Read the labels and buy sunblocks that contain zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or parsol. These offer the best protection. Also, you need to apply rather generous amounts spread evenly over your skin, 15 to 30 minutes before exposure, to get the protection. If you spread it thinly, the protection is much less than the SPF factor listed on the bottle. The age of the product also can play a role. Sunscreens lose much of their effectiveness when exposed to extreme heat, such as when lying in your bag or car under the hot sun, and should be discarded after two years.
Furthermore, many people tend to think that if they aren't getting sunburned, they aren't being harmed. Be aware that although sunscreens may protect against sunburn, these products may not protect against UV radiation-associated melanoma of the skin. Always keep in mind that sunscreens should serve as an additional safeguard and not a license to spend long periods of time in the sun free of harm.
4. Diane is heading off on a tropical vacation in one week and doesn't want to look pale when she arrives at her destination. What is the safest option for her to get some color?
- Spend a few sessions in a tanning booth/bed
- Use self-tanning lotions, creams, or sprays
- Slowly build a base tan outside
The correct answer is: Use self-tanning lotions, creams, or sprays.
Your best bet is to use the sunless tanners that are available at drugstores, cosmetics counters, and salons in lotions, creams, sprays, and mists. These products give the skin a tanned appearance by interacting with the dead cells on the surface of the skin, effectively adding a layer of pigment. However, be aware that these products and the pigment they produce do not protect the skin from the ultraviolet radiation in the sun's rays the way melanin does. The active ingredient in these products is dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and is considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Although often advertised as a healthy alternative to the sun, tanning salons are not a safe option. The American Cancer Society, the American Academy of Dermatology, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other organizations, advise against using tanning beds or booths because most beds and booths use bulbs that emit a significant amount of UVA and UVB radiation – both of which are associated with the development of skin cancer and premature aging. Tanning beds also can burn skin and eyes and damage the immune system. And because these facilities are considered a cosmetic service, they are unregulated by the FDA.
Experts say that getting a "base tan" offers very little protection against sunburn. In fact, it may even increase the chance that you'll get a burn once you're on vacation, because you're likely to spend more time in the sun without proper UV protection.
It's Not All Bad
By far the most serious threat from radiation to human health is excessive exposure to radiation from the sun. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't get out and have an active, healthy life. Complete avoidance of the sun isn't healthy, either. Your body needs moderate amounts of sunshine to produce the vitamin D necessary to strengthen your bones, muscles, heart, and immune system. A lack of the nutrient has been linked to an increased risk of colon and other cancers. In addition, research suggests that spending a few minutes in natural sunlight several times a week may increase blood levels of mood-boosting serotonin. But because being in the sun often over time, even if you don't burn, can lead to skin cancer, modifying some behaviors will help you continue to enjoy the outdoors for years to come.
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