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CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS | CONTINUOUS NEWS COVERAGE
Healthy Living - Oncology
It Is Sunny Still
Posted: Nov 10, 2011 4:08 PM
From South Texas Comprehensive Cancer Centers
By Lalitha M. Janaki, M.D.
CORPUS CHRISTI - I have been asking our Dermatology colleagues to share some information in their field of expertise, so we all can learn, since we live in South Texas right on the sunny coast.
Health fair this year was a big eye opener for me. As I walked through the aisles and saw these long lines at the skin cancer screening booths, I decided to spend some time there. Lots of questions were being asked and I was amazed to find out how little I know about skin care. Then I went home and did some reading, and here are a few facts that I discovered:
- Men over 40 get the most sun.
- As our life expectancy over 50 has risen, protecting the skin becomes more important.
- Skin protection is important, no matter how old one is.
- Skin cancer is rarely seen on women's faces, but this is the most common site for men. (I guess that is why most make-up we use includes sunscreen.)
- About 2 million Americans develop skin cancer every year.
- Sunscreens block UVB radiation and UVB radiation causes the visible burns. But, UVA 1 & UVA 2 are the cancer causing solar wavelengths. These are the rays that penetrate deeper into the skin and cause cancer.
I am frequently asked:
- How about sun bathing under a shady area or on a cloudy day? (Clouds block sunrays reaching the earth but unprotected skin exposure on a cloudy day is not recommended.)
- What SPF is better? Does higher SPF give better protection? (Any SPF between 30 and 50 is as good as SPF of 70.)
- What kind of sunscreen is better - sticks, gels, sprays, lotion, cream, or wipes? (All are effective when applied properly. Creams are good and last longer - a good example would be for swimmers. Sticks are good for touch ups, sprays are good when not wearing a bathing suit. Lotions are really recommended on the beach. Wipes are handy because they are spill proof and easy to carry around. None of these sunscreen products are waterproof, sand proof, towel proof, etc. Dermatologists recommend that you apply sunscreen every hour when swimming.)
We do know that skin makes Vitamin D in response to ultraviolet ray exposure. Sun screens do not block the sunrays completely and we do end up making some Vitamin D which has several important functions. It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, boosts immunity, promotes Calcium absorption, etc. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends Vitamin D supplements and protecting the skin with sunscreen products to prevent skin cancer, and that is far more important than a Vitamin D deficiency.
Anything and everything in moderation is good, I suppose that includes sunbathing.
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