Myths
True
- A tan results from your body defending itself against further damage from UV radiation.
- A dark tan on white skin only offers an SPF of about 4.
- Up to 80% of solar UV radiation can penetrate light cloud cover. Haze in the atmosphere can even increase UV radiation exposure.
- Water offers only minimal protection from UV radiation, and reflections from water can enhance your UV radiation exposure.
- UV radiation is generally lower during the winter months, but snow reflections can double your overall exposure, especially at high altitude.
- Sunscreens are not intended to increase sun exposure time but to increase protection during unavoidable exposure. The protection they afford depends critically on their correct application.
- UV radiation exposure is cumulative during the day.
- Sunburn is caused by UV radiation which cannot be felt. Most of the heating is caused by the sun’s visible and infrared radiation and not by UV radiation.
False
- A sun tan is healthy.
- A tan protects you from the sun.
- You can’t get sunburn on a cloudy day.
- You can’t get sunburn while in the water.
- UV radiation during the winter is not dangerous.
- Sunscreens protect me so I can sunbathe much longer.
- If you take regular breaks during sunbathing you won’t get sunburn.
- If you don’t feel the hot rays of the sun you won’t get sunburn.
Helpful Hints
The good news: if treated early, the cure rate is high--95% or more for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Even with melanoma, the 5 year survival rate is 98% when tumors haven't spread. And remember, it's never too late to start protecting your skin.
- Know your skin: If you burn and don't easily tan, be especially careful. (Those with dark skin, like African-Americans, are less susceptible, but not immune.)
- Protect yourself: Use a sunscreen that blocks both UVB and UVA rays and has a high SPF (sun-protection factor). Lotion with 15 SPF blocks about 96% of the sun's rays, but a 45 SPF cuts out about 99%. Apply about a shot glass of sunblock and reapply every 2 hours.
- Get screened: The American Cancer Society recommends screenings by dermatologists every three years for people 20-39, and annually after that. But those with particularly fair skin or a family history may need to be screened earlier and more often.
- Be aware: Look for any changes in your skin--particularly asymmetrical moles or spots that change color or size. If a growth or skin lesion doesn't heal within a few weeks, see a doctor.
- Know your options: The standard melanoma treatment is excision. In advanced cases, chemotherapy or radiation may be used.
Regulations
- Increase in the number of unsupervised commercial sun beds - Without trained staff and adequate health care advice, the potential for harm to the uninformed consumer is much greater. This, combined with competitive pricing strategies such as unlimited sessions within a specific time frame, increases the likelihood of skin damage.
- High intensity of UV output - Some machines have the capacity to emit very high levels of UV, many times stronger than the midday summer sun in most countries. In a largely unregulated industry where training of staff is not mandatory, this increases the health risks considerably.
- Exposure time and intervals between tanning sessions - Reasonable sun bed use includes keeping to recommended exposure times (which depends on the type of machine used) and having sufficiently long breaks between tanning sessions. Normally at least 48 hours are needed between tanning sessions for repair of UV-induced DNA damage in skin cells
- Eyewear - UV protective eyewear (such as goggles) must be worn during tanning sessions to protect the eyes.
- Effect of certain drugs and cosmetics - Some drugs, for example anti-depressants, antibiotics, antifungal, and antidiabetics as well as some cosmetics make the skin more photosensitive and therefore decrease the time it takes for the skin to burn.
- The size of the skin area exposed - Modern ‘clam-type’ sun beds and canopies can expose more skin area to UV than outdoor situations, therefore increasing the health risk. Here young people, are more sensitive to UV-induced damage from this "all-over" tanning.