Sunscreens, skin protection and skin cancers
Sunscreens and Skin Care
In these summery days dermatologists warn against sun’s skin-damaging ultraviolet rays which lead to skin cancer. More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure and the risk for a future skin cancer doubles with five or more sunburns.
People are aware that the higher the Sun Protection Factor, the more effective the sunscreen. Sunscreens that have a SPF of 15 or higher are better. Usually the cost of the sunscreen does not increase with the higher numbers.
Here you can find some useful less commonly known information that is not only practical but will make the use of your sunscreen more effective.
You should keep your sunscreen in a cool, dry and dark location. The effectiveness of sunscreen can be diminished if the area is too warm.
Many people do not apply enough sunscreen. It should fully cover the skin exposed to the sun and heavy amounts should be layered on.
A sunscreen has a 3- to 5-year shelf life. Not all sunscreen has an expiration date. The major problem with using older sunscreen is that it can lose its effectiveness. Using sunscreens that are old does not cause skin damage.
I think this point will be the most practical. Although the labels on some sunscreen say they are water resistant, it is strongly recommended that every time you come out of the water, you reapply sunscreen.
Do not use sunscreens on very young babies. Also, they should not be exposed to the sun. A child’s skin is very sensitive so beware of using certain sunscreens that can cause irritation to their skin. It is believed that the majority of skin cancers begin in childhood when the child gets a severe sunburn.
Thus you already have this information, It doesn’t mean that sunscreen provide you full protection. The more you expose yourself to the sun, the higher the risk from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation, even when you slather on oily sunscreens. Or as the British medical journal The Lancet suggests, “Wearing sun-protective clothes and a hat and reducing sun exposure to a minimum should be preferred to sunscreens.”
Consumers’ unreliability is a big part of the problem. Being hasty or indifferent, people typically apply too little sunscreen, spread it unevenly or avoid it altogether, noted Dr. Stephan Lautenschalger, a Swiss dermatologist and author of the review.
According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more adults in the United States are getting sunburns - 33.7 percent in 2004, up from 31.8 percent in 1999.
In fact, the sunscreens you are using, those did nothing more than shield you against ultraviolet B radiation (UVB), which is responsible for burns that turn people tomato-red, then blister.
For years, it was believed UVB was the primary culprit in skin cancer. Prevent the burns and reduce UVB exposure and you’ll get less cancer, experts reasoned.
As for the science behind sunscreens and skin cancer, it’s mixed.
Some epidemiological studies indicate that sunscreen helps reduce the rate of melanoma; other studies don’t.
Four years ago, a study in New England Journal of Medicine proved that daily use of sunscreen reduced the number of new pre-cancerous cells in people deemed at high risk of skin cancer. The findings applied to squamous cell carcinoma and are thought to extend to basal cell carcinoma as well. But melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer is different. Some melanomas are clearly related to sun exposure.
In 2000, a panel of the World Health Organization concluded that there was insufficient evidence establishing the efficacy of sunscreen in preventing melanoma. ”
Dr. June Robinson, a Northwestern University dermatologist believes there is reason for confidence in sunscreens. “We know that cancers are caused in animal models by UV light. We know sunscreen blocks UV light. It’s a reasonable, logical step to believe that prevents the development of all three forms of skin cancer,” she said.