While sun, sand, and sea go hand-in-hand, excessive exposure to UV radiation can damage your skin and may cause skin cancer, including dangerous melanoma.
By Vanessa Papas
It’s no wonder we worship the sun. It increases serotonin levels (nature’s own Valium, proven to relieve anxiety and lift the mood), produces vitamin D (good for bones, teeth, and skin), and gives you a healthy glow. However, too much of a good thing can be bad for your health.
It’s sad but true: The sun is a kingpin in the melanoma epidemic, with South Africa topping the list of countries with the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world.
SUN DAMAGE ISN’T JUST SKIN-DEEP
Did you know that UV radiation actually alters the DNA of your skin cells and can cause irreparable damage? Holiday goers are usually the worst affected because they believe a few days a year soaking up the rays won’t cause long‑term problems.
Some of the common (and painful) beach holiday mistakes include not applying enough sunscreen, thinking that cloudy weather will not cause sunburn, being in the sun between 11h00 and 15h00 and believing that the afternoon sun will not cause sunburn.
MYTHS VS FACTS
Myth: Tanning beds are a safer way to get a tan.
Fact: There’s no such thing as a safe tanning bed, tanning booth, or sun lamp. Tanning beds can increase your chances of developing melanoma by 47% before the age of 20, and the risk increases with each use.
Myth: A “base tan” will protect you from sunburn.
Fact: Going out in the sun with a “base tan” is equivalent to wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 3 to 4, which is essentially no protection at all. Furthermore, tanned skin indicates that UV rays have already damaged your skin cells, which can grow and multiply into skin cancer.
Myth: Sunscreen is 100% effective against sun damage.
Fact: No sunscreen is a suit of armour and sunscreen should never be used to extend the amount of time you spend in the sun.
OUCH: WHAT SUNBURN DOES TO YOUR SKIN
“Sunburn” refers to the skin injury that occurs immediately after being exposed to UV radiation. When skin is burned, it becomes red and painful. If the burn is severe, you may experience swelling, blisters, and flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, headache, and weakness. Burned skin will peel and itch as your body attempts to rid itself of sun-damaged cells.
DNA damage can cause various skin problems over time, including wrinkles, premature ageing, and even deadly melanomas. Even if you only get sunburned once or twice a year, you can get a melanoma, one of the deadliest skin cancers, and carcinomas. The less sun exposure, the better because cumulative sun damage causes the most damage.
WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?
Keep in mind that any colour of skin can burn. In fact, many dark-skinned people die of skin cancer every year because they don’t detect they have it early enough.
COVER UP, EVEN IF IT’S CLOUDY
UV radiation does not feel like heat on the skin, but it can be as strong and damaging on a cool and cloudy day as on a clear sunny day. In fact, 80-85% of UV radiation passes through clouds!
Grey clouds allow 32% of rays to pass through to the surface, while white, fluffy clouds allow 89% of rays to pass through.
SEVEN FACTS ON SUNSCREEN
- Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a measure of how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays. Choose a product with a high SPF and a high star rating to reap the most benefits.
- Water usually dissolves sunscreen (even those labelled as “water resistant”) so you will need to apply more after your activity or during the activity if it is longer than two hours.
- Sunscreen needs at least 20-30 minutes to absorb fully into your skin to be effective.
- Studies show that people simply don’t use enough sunscreen – and only get 10-25% of the benefit.
- Lips can also get sunburned, so use a UV-protective lip balm and reapply frequently.
- Sunscreens can expire, so check out the expiry date on the bottle. Sunscreen loses its effectiveness over time. So, if it’s been lying in your cupboard for over three years, buy a new one.
- People who use sunscreen with an SPF15 or higher daily show 24% less skin ageing than those who do not use sunscreen daily.
A WORD ON MELANOMAS
Every year, about 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed, and the number of new cases of skin cancer exceeds the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and colon.
Melanomas frequently resemble moles (some actually develop from moles). They are mostly black or brown but can also be skin-coloured, pink, red, purple, blue, or white. Speak to your doctor about the signs and symptoms of melanoma, as early detection is critical for successful treatment.
When it comes to melanomas, remember the ABCDE rule: Asymmetry (one half of the mole doesn’t match the other), Border irregularity, Colour that is not uniform, Diameter greater than 6 mm (about the size of a pencil eraser), and Evolving size, shape or colour. If a spot or mole looks suspicious, get it checked out!
