Sun Sense: Protecting Your Skin

Ultraviolet (UV) sunlight is radiation from the sun that penetrates the upper layer of our skin, causing damage. UV rays are most intense between mid-morning and mid-afternoon (from approximately 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). By simply limiting exposure during these hours, you can greatly decrease your risk of sun damage. Be especially careful if you spend the majority of your time indoors and then suddenly expose yourself to the intense sunlight. Your skin is most vulnerable with this type of exposure.

A wide-brimmed hat and a loose, long-sleeved cotton shirt offer good protection from the sun. To protect your eyes, wear sunglasses with at least 99 percent protection against UV sunlight. Wearing proper eye protection is especially important when you're around snow, sand or water. These surfaces reflect sunlight that may cause burns to the outer layer of the eye. This can pose serious health risks — including temporary blindness.

Outdoors, use a sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 15. There are two types of UV rays harmful to the skin: ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). Choose a sunscreen that protects you from both. And don't be sparing! Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before exposure to the sun and re-apply after swimming or sweating. Even in cloudy weather, UV sunlight can penetrate and deliver up to 85 percent of the suns harmful rays to your unprotected skin. In intense sunlight, use a total sun block (such as zinc oxide) on your lips, ears and nose. Don't be fooled into thinking sunscreen alone can fully protect you from the sun's harmful rays. It's wise to wear protective clothing in addition to sunscreen.

Most little ones love to frolic outdoors and are unaware that they may be getting tanned or burned until it's too late. Use sunscreen liberally on your children. Re-apply often and always after they've jumped in the water or worked up a sweat. Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies - on the neck and ears, in the folds of the forearm, behind the knees, and even the tops and bottoms of their feet! (Do not use sunscreen on infants under 6 months of age. The sun is especially merciless to tender young skin!) Research shows that children who receive sunburns at a young age are more susceptible to developing skin cancer as adults.

Have you heard claims that tanning beds are safer than the sun because they emit only UVA rays? While UVB rays pose a greater risk for skin cancer, UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin. This can cause wrinkling and loss of elasticity, and also may increase the damaging effects of UVB, including skin cancer and cataracts. Be safe and forgo the artificial tan.

Some medications can increase your sensitivity to sunlight and your risk of being sunburned. Consult your doctor when taking thiazide and other diuretics, tetracycline or sulfa antibiotics. Also, check with your personal physician/provider if you're taking anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, in dosages used to treat arthritis.

People with light or fair complexions are at higher risk for developing skin cancer. Fair-skinned people have less melanin, a substance that's produced in skin cells. Melanin gives skin its color, helps it absorb UV rays, and protects skin from the sun's damaging rays. This lack of melanin makes lighter skinned people more susceptible to developing skin cancer. (People with dark complexions sometimes get skin cancer, but it's rare.)

The tendency to develop skin cancer sometimes runs in families because skin types are inherited. Also, long-term exposure and sudden and intense exposure to the sun increase the risk of skin cancer. People who live in sunny climates are more at risk for skin cancer, but people in any region should respect the sun's strength.

The general warning signs for skin cancer are a change in the size, shape, color or texture of a mole, or an open or inflamed skin wound that doesn't heal.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are two of the most common types of skin cancers. BCC and SCC are in the category of non-melanomas, and are rarely life threatening. They are easily detected and highly curable if treated early. Signs of these type skin cancers might be a pearly or flesh-colored bump, a smooth red spot with an indent in the center, or a reddish-brown or blue-black patch of skin on the chest or back. Also, watch out for a firm, reddish, wart-like bump that grows gradually, or any other skin growth that looks unusual or does not heal.

Malignant melanoma is another common skin cancer, and a dangerous one. It's more rare than BCC and SCC, but can be life threatening if left untreated. Melanoma may first appear as a small, dark multicolored spot with irregular borders. It may bleed and form a scab, or it may appear as a cluster of shiny, dark bumps. Beware of a mole or other skin growth with a diameter larger than a pencil eraser. Early detection and treatment of melanoma usually equals a cure. Keep in mind that BCC, SCC and melanoma are caused mainly by overexposure to the sun, and as such, are highly preventable.

For more information on skin cancer visit our Health Information Library, or consult your personal physician/provider if you have suspicions about any unusual growths on your skin. Be smart in the sun.