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Do you remember your parent slathering you down with sunscreen, making your skin glisten like a ghost? Did they ever interrupt your joyful bliss swimming in the pool or ocean to make you towel off and re-apply? Or, maybe your parent didn’t do this and you remember the hot flashes and the burning pain with each move for several days after that joyful bliss of a day at the beach or backyard pool. Your skin would peel off several days later and you would compete with your siblings or friends to see who could get the biggest piece of skin off. Well, at this point in my life, I have experienced both, but I am hoping you remember more of the first scenario than the second. Keep reading to learn simple skin care practices to reduce skin cancer risk as well as the damaging effects of the sun.

Ecclesiastes 11:7  Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun

The sun is a beautiful gift that provides us with energy, light, warmth, nutrients to our bodies and our food. The sun can, however, be a dangerous weapon as well. Each year it is estimated that the sun itself causes over 60,000 deaths ( approximately 1,300 in US alone) and contributes to another 600-700 in other heat related causes (US only). The sun is also a contributing factor to the 9,500 cases of skin cancer diagnosed EVERY DAY in the US.

So how does this magnificent ball of fire cause a human’s skin to burn and activate a cancer cell and how can YOU prevent it? What are the best practices to decrease your odds of being the 1 out of 5 persons who will develop skin cancer before the age of 70 or other damaging effects of the sun? Keep reading and we will answer all of this and more!

The sun is over 94 million miles away from the Earth. So how does something so far away affect us so much?

The sun emits both heat and ultraviolet(UV) light rays. The heat can give us warmth but in excess, can overheat and dehydrate our bodies. The ultraviolet light rays come in 2 forms, both A (UVA) and B (UVB). Both are dangerous. UVB is the one most responsible for sunburns while both are responsible for skin cancer.

How does the sun cause a sunburn?

The UV light penetrates the skin activating melanocytes (the skin cells that give your skin it’s color). Activated melanocytes provide protection from the UV rays. These cells can become overwhelmed by excessive UV light and then the UV light radiation burns the skin.

Burning of the skin can have multiple effects. The 2 most known are pain and cancer. Others include freckles, wrinkling and early aging. Pain comes directly from the physical affects of burning of the skin. This can cause pain to touch or movement. The skin becomes bright red and may blister or peel in the following days. Severity depends on several factors such as length of time in the sun, protection used, time of day, color of your skin as well as your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. The severity can cause the symptoms mentioned above all the way to such severe burns that they result in death.

Skin cancer, on the other hand, may take years to show up.

So how does a simple sunburn cause cancer years later?

The ultraviolet light rays emit a type of radiation that can change the DNA of our skin cells. This changing of DNA can activate a cancer gene you may be prone to. When this happens, the cancer cell takes on a life of it’s own and starts reproducing the newly modified cells infected with cancer.

The thing with the damaging effects of the sun…. They are PREVENTABLE!

Some cheap and easy prevention strategies can help reduce your risk of an immediate pain as well as a potential long term, life threatening disease. It all starts with a PLAN!

Simple Skin Care Practices to Reduce Your Skin Cancer Risk

PLAN your time in the sun! Watch the weather. Know that the most harmful times of day the sun is emitting the most ultraviolet light is between 10am and 4pm. Avoid this time outdoors if possible.

KNOW that Spring and Summer, the sun is closer to the Earth thus increasing the effects of UV light.

UNDERSTAND what is happening when your skin starts to feel hot or tingly. These are warning signs that your skin is getting overheated and potentially burning.

TAKE ACTION! Go indoors if possible. Apply and re-apply your sun protection. Stay hydrated!

So what are the recommendations?

1. First and foremost, wear appropriate sunscreen coverage. This means wearing it:

• In the right areas: ALL exposed areas should have sunscreen (don’t forget your ears, feet and back) The hard to reach areas are often regrettably forgotten
• Wearing appropriate amounts. Experts recommend applying about 1 ounce of lotion type sunscreen to each body area (each arm, each leg, front, back of trunk, face and neck etc). Apply generously and cover ALL areas equally. You will notice if you miss a spot. The sun does not discriminate!
• Choose the best sunscreen for your needs. Pay attention to ingredients, water-resistance, hypoallergenic, spray vs lotion and SPF.

Not all sunscreen is created equal.

Remember earlier when I mentioned there are 2 types of ultraviolet light rays that affect our skin? Some sunscreens don’t protect from both of these. It is VERY IMPORTANT to use a sunscreen that is BROAD SPECTRUM. This means that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

The sunscreen you choose should also have some water resistance. If you are in the sun, most likely, you will be sweating or doing activities that involve water. You don’t want the water or sweat to immediately wash off your protection. Each brand will have their own recommendations, based on their studies, as to how long this protection will last (Usually between 40-80 minutes) so follow their directions and RE-APPLY .

Different sunscreens will have different ingredients. Some of which may cause allergic reactions. Know what affects your skin and choose accordingly. Some of my favorites for hypoallergenic qualities are the Coppertone Water Babies and Neutrogena. Both are SPF 30 or higher, water resistant and hypoallergenic.

Some sunscreens also contain oxybenzone and octinoxate which are very effective at protecting your skin but have been shown to be damaging to coral reefs in the oceans. Therefore, they are being phased out by more environmentally conscious companies. Just an FYI for those looking to not only protect themselves and loved ones, but our ecosystems as well!

Finally, you may be asking What IS SPF? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. This is the number assigned to sunscreens based on how long it takes for the skin to react to the sun compared to skin without protection. Remember, however, everyone’s skin is different and responds differently based on those little melanocyte cells we talked about. Sources vary on the minimum SPF recommendation but I say, the better the protection, the higher my recommendation. I have always recommended SPF 30 as a minimum.

If you have looked for sunscreen in the last several years, you may be overwhelmed by the number of choices. The most recent option is a spray form of sunscreen. The benefits of the spray are faster application, wider coverage, less stickiness and generally easier to apply. However, there are some downfalls as well. If the wind is blowing at all, the spray will likely not get on the skin, thus providing no protection. It is easier to miss places unless you are vigilant about spraying because it does not show on the skin like the lotion does. You shouldn’t spray at the face as it will be inhaled or get into the eye. It is best practice to spray some sunscreen into your hand and apply to the face. Finally, the spray needs to be rubbed in (frequently not done) like the lotion. This ensures better coverage.

MORE TID-BITS

• RE-APPLY SUNSCREEN EVERY 2 HOURS AT MINIMUM
• Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before sun exposure
• Apply sunscreen every time you go outdoors for more than 15 minutes (especially Summer and Spring).
• Make sunscreen application a part of your morning skincare routine.
• Everyone, regardless of race, can burn and get skin cancer. Darker skin individuals are less likely because they already have more melanocytes to protect their skin, however, they do not completely block the UV rays.
• You can still get a tan if you use sunscreen. The melanocytes that darken skin color can still be activated, they are less likely to get overwhelmed and allow a burn.
• Each year Consumer Reports tests and publishes their top sunscreens. Check out this years top rated ones.
• Most people base their sunscreen choice on price, smell or ingredients
• Cloud cover does not mean you don’t need sunscreen. Wind and clouds often trick people into thinking they do not need sunscreen, however, this is absolutely not true. I am speaking from experience here.

2. Cover Up

By keeping your skin covered, the suns harmful UV rays are less likely to penetrate the skin causing damaging effects.

Like sunscreen, not all covers are created equal. The color and material of the covering matter. Darker colors and thicker material tend to keep out more rays. Biting the bullet and purchasing a UV protective coverup is your best bet. Remember, you should put sunscreen on all exposed areas, but applying under the coverup as well would not hurt. This adds a second layer of protection and helps if the coverup comes off when you are in the water.

A wide rimmed hat provides a guard against the direct rays of the sun, also protecting the face, ears and sometimes the shoulders as well.

Don’t forget your sunglasses. UV rays can damage both your eyelids, cornea, lens and other parts of the eye.

3. Protect the eyes

Just like sunscreen and coverups, sunglasses can serve multiple purposes and are not created equal. They may help you see in bright environments but many do not protect the eyes from the ultraviolet light rays at all. Be sure to look for the UV rating when you purchase a new pair. Recommendations are to have a UV rating of 400 or higher or 99% UVA protection to prevent eye damage.

Don’t for get the kids! Kids need all of the above protections as well. Their skin may be even more sensitive than an adult due to lack of previous exposure and less developed melanocytes.

What are some of your tricks to protect your skin from the sun?

Please comment below