Sun Protection

Since tanning booths are legal they must be safe, right?
How can I tan safely?
What exactly does SPF mean?
What sunscreen should I use?
Do I need a waterproof sunscreen if I'm going to be in the water for a short period?
What can I do to treat my sunburn?
If your skin doesn't get red while you're outdoors you're safe from burning, right?
How can I protect myself against skin cancer?
Are there certain people that are at a higher risk for getting skin cancer?

1. Since tanning booths are legal they must be safe, right?

Tanning booths use UVA radiation which is a longer wavelength of light as compared to UVB. UVA usually doesn't cause an immediate burn, however, this doesn't mean its less dangerous. Actually, UVA light penetrates into the skin more deeply and will prematurely age the skin faster. UVA sensitizes the skin so sunlight will be more likely to cause skin cancers. If you're taking antibiotics, tranquillizers, antihistamines, birth control pills, or oral diabetes medication, you may have side-effects with exposure to UVA light. Federal guidelines require that you wear protective goggles at the salons, but this point isn't enforced very strongly and closing your eyes isn't enough. Cataracts and retina damage could occur. Tanning booths are far from safe.

2. How can I tan safely?

A tanned colour is caused by the increase in melanin in your skin. The more you're exposed to the sun the more melanin is produced. Melanin absorbs UV radiation and helps to protect the body against ultraviolet radiation. People who are not dark- skinned to begin with and are getting constant exposure to UV light can get skin damage and skin cancer. Therefore, no tanning is safe. Remember that UV light is cumulative and thus the sun exposure you get at age ten can affect you adversely at age thirty-five.

3. What exactly does SPF mean?

(SPF) stands for Sun Protection Factor. Sunscreens are labelled with a number that is referred to as the SPF number. A product with an SPF of 10 means that you are able to stay out in the sun 10 times

longer without burning than if you were out without sunscreen on. If you are fair-skinned and can stay out for 8 minutes without burning, with sunscreen on you'll be able to stay out for 8 min without burning. The SPF only pertains to the UVB light and not the UVA protection. So two different sunscreens can offer different protection against UVA rays.

4. What sunscreen should I use?

Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. If you're fair-skinned and will be outdoor for a long period of time, use one with an even higher SPF.

5. Do I need a waterproof sunscreen if I'm going to be in the water for a short period?

If you're going to do sports that cause you to perspire or if you're going in and out of the water, you should wear a sunscreen that offers you protection against water. "Water-resistant" sunscreens must protect at that SPF level after you've spent forty minutes in the water. While "water-proof" screens must protect at that SPF after eighty minutes in the water. Be aware that you can wipe off even waterproof sun screen when you towel off and you will need to reapply.

6. What can I do to treat my sunburn?

All first degree burns, like sunburns, should be immersed in cold water for 10-15 minutes or apply cold compresses. If you're burned all over your body, try adding oatmeal or cornstarch to a cold bath and soak in it. The oatmeal soothes the skin and reduces inflammation. Baby oil or after-sun screens seals in heat, so don't use these. You may want to use a cooling lotion or a lotion which contains benzoncaine. These lotions work on nerve endings in the skin and may provide temporary relief.

7. If your skin doesn't get red while you're outdoors you're safe from burning, right?

Even if your skin shows no sign of burning, you may be doing just that. A sunburn is most evident six to twenty-four hours after exposure to the sun.

8. How can I protect myself against skin cancer?

For beginners, you'll have to reduce the amount of sun you subject yourself to. Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and wear protective clothing, which includes a hat.

9. Are there certain people that are at a higher risk for getting skin cancer?

If you have fair skin, blonde or red hair, light-coloured eyes, have a high incidence of moles, a tendency to burn rather than tan, a family history of skin cancer, an outdoor job, or spend a lot of time in the sun, you are at a higher risk for skin damage and cancer. This doesn't mean that dark haired, dark eyed people aren't at risk because they are and should protect themselves as well. Blacks and darker-skinned people probably do not need to wear any protection because of the high concentration of melanin in their skin.