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Our place in the sun

Florida's sand and surf call for a third companion: sunscreen. Never leave home without it.

By ROBERT N. JENKINS
Published July 4, 2006

We live in what is officially the Sunshine State. For marketing purposes, they don't call it the Sunburn State. But they could.

Yes, we are delighted to trade snow-shoveling for sandcastle building. We buy boats, personal watercraft and backyard pools and patio sets by the tens of thousands.

Sometimes we even reach to the bottom of the beach bag or tackle box for that tube of "suntan lotion."

Of course, that should be the first thing we think about when contemplating being outdoors.

Instead, as the respected Mayo Clinic's Health Letter reports, there is "an unrecognized epidemic of skin cancer" in the United States.

The Skin Cancer Foundation reports in its latest newsletter that "All the trends are in the same direction - upwards:

"The percentage of women under age 40 with the most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, tripled between 1976 and 2003, while the rate for squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common skin cancer, quadrupled."

And, the Mayo Clinic researchers said, sustaining five or more sunburns during your lifetime doubles your risk of developing any form of skin cancer.

Long waves, short waves

What's more, many of us who are wary of burning are not even using sunscreen properly. Too little sunscreen can lessen its sun protection factor - the "SPF' on the label - by as much as 30 percent, warns the Skin Cancer Foundation.

"To get the maximum amount of SPF in the product, you need to apply 1 ounce - that's two full tablespoons, or about a shot glass full - every two hours," says the foundation's Web site. Studies show must people apply just one-half to one-quarter that much.

For years, basic sunscreens protected against only UVB rays, the sun's short-wave radiation. Scientists knew that these rays cause sunburn, which can lead to skin cancer. But as the Foundation's Web site notes, it was not understood until fairly recently that exposure to UVA - the sun's long-wave radiation - worsened UVB's cancer-causing effects.

With a significant increase in the number of skin cancer cases, universities and pharmaceutical companies began research on both types of rays. Now, 16 ingredients have been FDA-approved for stronger sunscreens.

These ingredients are termed "broad-spectrum" for their wider protection. However, there is no absolute rating for protecting the skin. The SPF numbering system measures the effectiveness of sunscreens against just UVB rays.

What can you do?

If you insist on getting a tan, or if you must work outdoors, there are precautions to take.

First, try to avoid being outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., considered the period with the harshest UV rays.

Next, dermatologists recommend the use of products with at least an SPF of 15, to provide some protection against UVA. According to dermatologists writing in the Foundation's Journal, a person who applied no sunscreen - and who would therefore suffer some sunburn in 10 minutes' exposure - could stay in the sun for 150 minutes if he had applied SPF 15.

The same doctors noted that "SPF 30 sunscreens block more than 97 percent of the sun's rays from reaching the skin.'

The top protection is afforded by products that contains the chemicals zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Zinc oxide is that white paste we see so often on the noses of lifeguards.

The Skin Cancer Foundation emphasizes that in addition to sunscreen, people in the sun for even brief periods should "wear sunglasses that block UV rays, a wide-brimmed hat and sun-protective clothing."

Proper sunglasses are necessary because too much exposure to ultraviolet rays can cause vision loss, especially later in life.

According to Mary Migneco, an ophthalmologist and instructor at St. Louis University's School of Medicine, UV rays can lead to cataracts or damage in the retina. "The darkness that you see in sunglasses cuts out the visible light," the doctor said in a statement released by the medical school. "What's really harmful to your eyes, however, is the invisible ultraviolet radiation."

The concern, Migneco added, is that, "When the visible light rays are cut out, your pupil will dilate in order to allow more light" so that you can see better. But the result is that the sunglass lenses allow more of the harmful rays to reach the eye.

"Generally speaking,' Migneco said, "anything marketed as "UV protected" (works) against both" kinds of rays.

The latest protective addition is clothing created with chemicals that work to prevent the UV rays from reaching your skin. Check manufacturers of outdoor gear for such clothing, increasingly being manufactured for those pursuing hobbies such as fishing and playing golf. (For more on such clothing, see the Threads column in Saturday's Floridian.)

A general suggestion is to wear dark-colored clothes with long sleeves and long pants; dark color does a better job of absorbing the rays.

Robert N. Jenkins can be reached at (727) 893-8496 or jenkins@sptimes.com.

What's new

The marketing of sun protection items is a big deal, but a number of products introduced in the past year don't always provide better defense against the damaging rays. Here's a quick sampling of what's new:

Sunpill: Makers claim that taking this dietary supplement boosts your skin's defenses against harmful UV rays. But they acknowledge you still need sunscreen. $36 for 30 pills.

Sun Signals UV Sensors: Cute and colorful stickers darken from yellow to orange as they absorb UV light. When they're done, you've had enough sun. $4.99 for 18 stickers.

ACUVUE: Contact lenses claim to block more than 90 percent of UV rays - at least for that teensy part of the eye they cover. Wear your sunglasses, too. By prescription only; $30 for six lenses.

For more information: Consult the Skin Cancer Foundation in New York City. Call toll-free 1-800-754-6490, see the Web site at www.skincancer.org or e-mail info@skincancer.org .

- Washington Post

[Last modified July 4, 2006, 00:25:03]