Safe sunning: protect your skin with these tips and tools

Vegetarian Times, June, 2002 by Amy Rapaport

Like any other trend, suntans have gone in and out of fashion. Once a sign of wealth--picture yacht-filled holidays to exotic locations--sun-tans are now easy for everyone to get. But they're no longer chic, as they can be dangerous to your health. Even if the only time you spend outside is while taking a walk, playing sports or cooking out, you still run the risk of a sunburn. Not taking adequate care of your skin can injure the largest organ of your body and greatly increase the chances of contracting malignant melanoma, or skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that more than 1 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in 2002, and sun exposure appears to be the most important environmental factor contributing to the development of melanoma, making it largely preventable. So when you're outside this summer, here are a few tips and tools to keep in mind.

Rays of Light

Despite what we've heard from dermatologists and skin-cancer specialists about staying out of the sun, many of us still don't take enough precautions. Our skin remembers every single burn we get, even one from 25 years ago. They show up as wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer years after the damage is done.

The Earth's ozone layer filters out most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, but the rest of it beats down on us in the form of Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. You tan when your body begins to find UVB radiation intolerable and, in defense, creates UVB-absorbing melanin, a skin-darkening pigment. You get darker as the exposure continues. Yet the body's defense isn't perfect, and your skin can still burn. Repeated tanning and burning damages skin cells and eventually wears out the skin's natural immunity and repair systems. As UVB rays compromise the skin's ability to protect and mend itself, damaged cells and tissues can wreak havoc in the form of moles, rashes and other lesions, as well as malignant melanoma. So while a tan may look healthy, it's anything but.

UVA rays, on the other hand, play no role in tanning or burning, but they penetrate deep into the skin where they trigger a breakdown of collagen, the skin's supportive tissue that helps prevent wrinkles. "In addition to bringing on premature aging, overexposure to UVA rays can cause cancer and other long-term damage," says Helene Rosenzweig, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the UCLA School of Medicine.

On any given day, the sun's most intense UVB radiation arrives at midday. "But what most people don't realize," says Rosenzweig, "is that the sun's UV energy is a constant, imperceptible, day-long, year-round stream of deep-penetrating UVA radiation." Cloudy days are no exception; clouds block only about 20 percent of UV rays. UV radiation can also pass through about three feet of water, so you're not safe when swimming either. UV rays also penetrate car windows and wet T-shirts. Be especially careful on the beach and in the snow because sand, snow and water reflect the sunlight and increase the amount of UV radiation you receive.

All About Sunscreen

Regardless of skin tone, we all have to worry about the effects of the sun. "The best way to protect yourself is to stay out of the sun totally and completely," says Rosenzweig. Since that's not an option for most of us, make sure that when you do go outside you wear a hat with a 4-inch brim (a baseball cap won't do), protective, dry clothing and sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. You should also try to stay in the shade. Most important, use a sunscreen daily. "Most skin cancers could be prevented if people would just be vigilant about using sunscreen," Rosenzweig says. "I tell my patients to make using sunscreen a habit, like a moisturizer or an aftershave."

Sun protection factor, or SPF, has to do with the amount of time you can be exposed to UVB rays safely, without burning. If you use an SPF of 15 you will be protected 15 times longer than a person not using sunscreen. If you typically burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen, using SPF 15 would keep you from burning for 150 minutes, or two and a half hours. While most doctors recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, it may be worthwhile to choose one with higher SPF because the level of protection indicated on a product is only reached if the correct amount of sunscreen is used: 1 ounce for your entire body. However, because most of us apply too little and too infrequently, it's a good idea to play it safe by using a higher number SPF that will give you greater protection using less product. Be sure to reapply it regularly, about once an hour, and immediately after swimming or sweating (see "Are You a Water Baby?" page 30).

While SPF is a universal measure of protection against UVB rays, there is currently no standard for UVA rays, which are less potent but more common. This means that it's possible your sunscreen offers no UVA protection. Choose a sunscreen that offers "broad-spectrum" protection, which safeguards your skin against both types of radiation.