3 Reasons to Slather Up this Summer

May 05, 2010, By Steve Graham 0 comments

Face it: You're not going to be on "Jersey Shore." Even if you wanted to, your kids would make fun of you and the wife wouldn't put up with all of that flirting. So there's no need to cultivate a permanent beach tan. Bronzed skin is not healthy, or even attractive, in the long run.

Slap on some sunscreen and be smart about keeping your skin looking and feeling good while also avoiding skin cancer and other serious maladies.

Stayin' Alive with Sunscreen

The best reason to slather on the sunscreen: It could save your life. Skin cancer is the most common cancer type in the U.S. Though many cases are treatable, skin cancer can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8,441 people died from skin cancer in 2006. The American Academy of Dermatology claims there are more than 1 million skin cancer cases each year. Many of these are preventable. Those people should have never left the house, or more realistically, they should have worn sunscreen, hats and other sun protection.

In fact, not leaving the house might not have helped. Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays can pass through most windows and penetrate deep into the skin. The rays suppress your immune system and reduce your skin's ability to block the development and spread of cancer.

They differ from ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which can give you the "Jersey Shore" tan, or more likely, a peeling sunburn. So even if it's cloudy and you don't get any "color," the UVA rays could still be bombarding your skin.

Anyone can get skin cancer from UVA exposure. Those most susceptible include people with lighter skin, freckles, blond or red hair, blue or green eyes, or a family history of skin cancer.

You may worry about the one possible health drawback of always wearing sunscreen: less vitamin D absorption. Just take a multivitamin or eat some fish instead. A spoonful of cod liver oil sure beats skin cancer treatments.

Being Smooth

UVB rays will catch up with you, too. They attack and burn the surface of the skin, leading to ugly, itchy, peeling skin. They also combine with UVA rays to create long-term wrinkles, leathery skin and other signs of premature aging. A Consumer Reports study found that sunscreen does more to prevent wrinkles than expensive moisturizers do.

The Sunscreen User's Manual

Now you know why you should use sunscreen, here are some tips on how to use it. First, a technical detail: Sun protection factor (SPF) is a rating of effectiveness in blocking UV rays. The number is the length of time before protected skin burns divided by the length of time before unprotected skin burns. For example, if you would naturally burn in 10 minutes, an SPF 15 sunscreen would give you 150 minutes before you burn.

Now, those tips:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least SPF 15, with both UVA and UVB protection. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends SPF 30.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours, as it wears off over time. Also, even with a water-resistant product, reapply sunscreen after swimming or sweating.
• Check the expiration date. If there is no expiration date and the bottle may be more than three years old, replace it.
• Wear sunscreen every day, even if it is overcast or you don't plan to be out in the sun for very long.
• Sunscreens contain a variety of chemicals. If your skin reacts to one product, try a sunscreen with different ingredients.
• Also consider a hat and wraparound sunglasses.