NIH panel recommends daily sunscreen use - National Institutes of Health

FDA Consumer, Oct, 1989

NIH Panel Recommends Daily Sunscreen Use

A National Institutes of Health consensus panel has recommended daily use of waterproof sunscreens with a sun protection factor of 15 or more during sunny or warm weather. The sun's ultraviolet B rays cause burning and tanning and increase the risk of skin cancer. Ultraviolet A rays, which penetrate more slowly into the skin, can add to the risk of cancer. Since many sunscreens filter only UV-A rays, the NIH panel urged consumers to look for and use one that protects against both types of radiation.

According to the panel, individuals may be exposed to 50 percent of their lifetime ultraviolet radiation exposure by age 18. Researchers emphasized the importance of sunscreens for children and suggested that attitudes towards sun exposure be changed through education of people of all ages.

Skin cancer is an increasingly widespread and dangerous problem for Americans. The number of cases of melanoma--a fast-growing skin cancer--has increased 93 percent since 1980. At that rate, researchers estimate melanoma will strike 1 in 90 Americans by the year 2000.