Today is Sunscreen Day!
Sunscreen defends the skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays by forming a protective barrier – used properly, sun screen can help prevent skin cancer. Exposure to the sun also damages the skin and can worsen signs of ageing, so wearing sun screen will also keep your skin looking younger.
It’s true that the sun’s rays make us feel and, in the short term, also makes us look good. But not many people really comprehend the long-term damage that the sun can do to our skins.
People always think that the worst thing that the sun can do to you is cause skin cancer. While this is true, and a real threat, there are also many other negative side-effects from being exposed to the sun for too long and without any protection.
– Wrinkles
– Lines
– Sagging
– Age Spots
– Freckles
– Discoloured areas / mottled pigmentation
– Telangiectasias, the dilation of small blood vessels under the skin
– Elastosis, the destruction of the elastic and collagen tissue
– Premature Ageing
– Decrease in the skin’s immune function
– Pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions
– Benign tumours
Sun exposure causes most of the skin changes that we think of as a normal part of ageing. Over time, the sun’s UV light damages the fibres in the skin called Elastin. When these fibres break down, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to go back into place after stretching. The skin also bruises and tears more easily – taking longer to heal. So while sun damage to the skin may not be apparent when you’re young, it will definitely show later in life.
Skin cancer is the most prevalent form of all cancers and the number of cases continues to rise. Currently, between 2 and 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur globally each year. One in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer and, according to Skin Cancer Foundation Statistics, one in every five individuals will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. This rapid growth results in tumours, which are either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). UV radiation from the sun is the number-one cause of skin cancer, but UV light from tanning beds is just as harmful. Exposure to sunlight during the winter months puts you at the same risk as exposure during the summertime because UVA rays are present in daylight.
Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatest for people who have fair or freckled skin that burns easily, light eyes and blond or red hair. Darker skinned individuals are also susceptible to all types of skin cancer, although their risk is substantially lower.
The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, typically a new mole or skin lesion or a change in an existing mole.
The ABCDE rule that tells you the signs to watch for in moles and changes in skin:
– Asymmetry: the shape of one half doesn’t match the other.
– Border: edges are ragged or blurred.
– Color: uneven shades of brown, black, tan, red, white or blue.
– Diameter: a significant change in size (greater than 6mm) – although any mole that begins enlarging should be looked at by your doctor.
– Evolving: any new spot of mole changing in color, shape or size.
Treatment of skin cancer is individualized and is determined by the type of skin cancer, its size and location, and the patient’s preference. Some of the available options are: removal (excision) of the skin cancer under local anesthesia, electrodesiccation and curettage – physically scraping away the skin cancer cells followed by electrosurgery, cryosurgery or freezing, and Topical chemotherapeutic creams.
Nothing can completely undo sun damage, although the skin can somewhat repair itself, especially with ongoing sun protection. So, it’s never too late to begin protecting yourself from the sun.
Your skin does change with age – for example, you sweat less and your skin can take longer to heal, but you can delay these changes by staying out of the sun.
Follow these tips to help prevent skin cancer:
– Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater (for UVB protection) and zinc oxide (for UVA protection) 20 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours thereafter, more if you are sweating or swimming.
– Select clothing, cosmetic products, and contact lenses that offer UV protection.
– Wear sunglasses with total UV protection and a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face and neck.
– Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible during peak UV radiation hours (between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.).
– Perform skin self-exams regularly (at least monthly) to become familiar with existing growths and to notice any changes or new growths.
Eighty percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired before age 18. As a parent, be a good role model and foster skin cancer prevention habits in your child.
And, use Sunscreen Day as a reminder to make sure you are properly protecting yourself from the sun, and preventing or lessening future damage.