Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 5, 1990 TAG: 9006050194
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACIE FELLERS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
From resorts to rooftops, sun worshippers routinely basked themselves in search of the perfect tan.
The nation's manufacturers of suntan lotions were only too happy to aid sun-seekers in their attempts to achieve that mythical shade of burnished brown. Billboards, magazines and TV commercials glorified and promoted deep, dark tans.
But the past couple of decades have ushered in a new age, one of sharp increases in the occurence of skin cancer worldwide. And scientists believe that the increase in cancer is due mainly to overexposure to the sun.
However, those who understand the risks and know how to avoid them can still enjoy the sunny summer days ahead.
The sun emits two types of ultraviolet light, designated A and B. Ultraviolet A rays break down the skin's natural elasticity, causing wrinkling and premature aging. UVB rays are the sun's burning rays. Both cause skin damage, said Dr. James E. Comer, a Roanoke dermatologist.
The earth's ozone layer provides crucial protection from those harmful rays - though perhaps not as much as in the past. There's been a lot of talk in the last 10 years about reduced ozone levels, but a correlation between those decreasing amounts and the current rise in skin cancer cases is still theoretical, Comer said. However, studies done in Antarctica prove "there's definitely a hole in the ozone layer."
And there's no doubt that skin cancer is on the increase. "The most serious form of skin cancer, which is melanoma, has seen a marked increase in the last 20 years," Comer said. Of all skin cancers, melanoma is the most likely to be fatal.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, if steps aren't taken to curb ozone depletion, there could be an additional 154 million skin cancer cases by 2075. The Evanston, Ill.-based academy represents doctors specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the skin, hair and nails.
The majority of skin cancer cases result from skin damage caused by overexposure to the sun, the academy says. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The group estimates that at least 600,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the country this year.
Data from the academy also indicate that the number of malignant melanoma cases - responsible for 75 percent of all skin-cancer deaths - has doubled in every decade since the 1930s. And the more common types of skin cancer - squamous-cell carcinoma and basal-cell carcinoma - also are on the rise.
"There seems to be a definite family trait with all [skin] cancers," particularly basal-cell carcinoma and melanoma, Comer said. If a close relative - such as a brother, sister, or parent - has melanoma, "the risk is much greater, hundreds of times greater, that you'll develop melanoma. So the sun is not the only factor."
Genetics aside, recent studies indicate sun overexposure is most harmful in the first 15 years of life, Comer said. It is especially harmful during early childhood, "because the body has less capability of handling sun damage."
The growing evidence that sun exposure is more hazardous than healthy means more consumers are searching for products that block the sun rather than bronze the body.
In response, manufacturers of skin care products are producing sunscreens and sunblocks with higher sun protection factors, designed to block out both types of ultraviolet radiation. For adequate protection from ultraviolet rays, Comer recommends using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or above. The SPF numbers refer to a sunscreen's ability to block the sun's burning rays.
If a person normally burns after 10 minutes in the sun, using a product with an SPF of 2 would allow that person to stay out twice as long without burning - or 20 minutes. An SPF 15 sunscreen would allow the same person to stay out 15 times as long without burning, or 150 minutes.
When people use sunscreens with SPFs lower than 15, they often think they're getting more protection than the product provides, Comer said. "If you tan, it's not providing enough blockage. If you get tanning, you get damage."
The American Academy of Dermatology couldn't agree more. "In reality, a suntan is an indication of damaged skin," the academy's literature says. "The skin, in an effort to protect itself, produces melanin, which is what causes a suntan. There is no such thing as a safe tan."
Children, along with anyone with freckles, red hair or fair skin, should be especially conscientious about sun protection. The reason is simple. Fair-skinned people - especially blue-eyed blonds - are at a greater risk of developing skin cancer, Comer said.
Darker skins contain more melanin, a pigment that makes skin darker and more tolerant of the sun's rays. "The color of the skin serves as protection against the sun," Comer said.
But that doesn't mean people with darker skins - including blacks - should forgo sunscreens altogether, he added. With darker skins, "it just takes longer for the damage to occur - but it will occur."
Children need protection from the sun more than anyone else, Comer said. To provide that protection, sunscreens made especially for children are good as long as the sun protection factor is 15 or above, he said.
A proliferation of such products appeared in stores nationwide this spring: Vaseline Intensive Care has introduced two BABY Moisturizing Sunblocks - SPF 15 and SPF 25 - at a suggested retail price of $5.99. Baby Block by Estee Lauder has an SPF of 30+ and a suggested retail price of $18.50.
"Certainly children playing outside should have a sunscreen on. I don't mean [just] at the beach, but for playing around town," Comer said. And very young children - up to 3 years of age - should be kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible.
When toddlers do play outside, "if they start turning pink or their skin turns hot, I would say to get them out of the sun."
Adults who work outdoors, engage in outdoor activities or play sports such as tennis and golf also should protect themselves with a good sunscreen - and use common sense, Comer said.
Both adults and children should take extra precautions if they are outdoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m, like wearing broad-brimmed hats and long-sleeved shirts. And the American Academy of Dermatology takes the recommendation a step further, advising people to stay out of the sun as much as possible during those peak hours.
If you're going to be out on a cloudy day, you still need to use sunscreen, Comer said. "On a cloudy day you would have less heat, but might get more sun because you weren't aware of it. The ultraviolet light is still out there, even though it's not hot," he added.
"A lot of people don't like to use sunscreens because they complain that they burn," Comer continued. Many contain alcohol and other chemicals, he said. But avoiding sunscreens altogether because of sensitive skin isn't the thing to do.
"Some people can't tolerate para-aminobenzoic acid, so they need to choose sunscreens that are PABA-free," Comer added. Many manufacturers are making PABA-free sun care products.
Most sunscreens at your neighborhood drug store - PABA-free or not - are chemical sunscreens, which absorb and detoxify ultraviolet light, Comer said. But people who are intolerant to such products usually don't have problems with physical sunscreens, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, he said.
While the chalky white zinc oxide and brownish titanium dioxide won't win you any beauty contests, they do act as barriers, blocking out ultraviolet light.
Even a T-shirt can act as a physical sunscreen - as long as it's dry, Comer said. People often make the mistaken assumption that swimming in a T-shirt will keep them from getting sunburned, he added. But when the shirt gets wet, the protection against ultraviolet light is gone.
And as a general rule, even waterproof sunscreens should be reapplied after you've gotten wet. So on that next beach trip, "if you're doing anything more than standing in the surf, you should probably reapply it when you come out of the water," Comer advised.
by CNB