Sunscreen
It’s a frightening but true statistic: Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.
One in two Australians will develop a form of skin cancer at some point in their lives. This high rate of skin cancer is mainly due to over-exposure to UV radiation.
Apart from skin cancer, UV radiation also causes premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, spots and dry and leathery textured skin.
What is sunscreen?
Sunscreen is a chemical barrier. It works by filtering out most of the sun’s UV rays from reaching your skin. It is a common misconception that sunscreen gives you 100% protection from the sun - this is not true. Sunscreen only screens out UV, it doesn’t block it, a small amount of UV will always reach the skin.
Sunscreens can come in many different forms, including creams, lotions or gels. All work equally well, so choose the one that works best for you depending on your skin type and activity.
All products available do not use the same ingredients; if your skin reacts to one sunscreen, talk to your chemist or doctor about choosing a different one, which contains different ingredients.
What is SPF?
SPF stands for ‘Sun Protection Factor’. The SPF numbers are based on the time unprotected skin would normally take to burn. Skin can take as little time as 10 minutes to burn; an SPF of 15+ would protect your skin for 150 minutes, or ten times longer. However, because the SPF of a sunscreen is measured in a laboratory using artificial UV light, it is not always an accurate guide to the actual degree of protection a certain sunscreen will give you at different times of the day or of the year.
What does broad spectrum mean?
All sunscreens with an SPF number will filter out the UVB part of sunlight. If the sunscreen is labelled ‘broad spectrum’ it means it will filter out both UVA and UVB. It is known that exposure to UVB causes skin cancer, however, recent studies suggest that UVA also increases the risk of skin cancer. UVA penetrates the skin deeper than UVB and have a relatively consistent intensity all year round.
It is recommended that you always use a maximum strength sunscreen with SPF 30+, water resistance and broad spectrum.
When should sunscreen be used?
Most people don’t realise that the majority of their sun exposure happens during their everyday activities like riding their bike, walking to school or driving to and from work in their car. It is very important that people realise this and get into a routine of protecting themselves everyday. It should be applied 20 minutes before going outside, allowing it to bind to the skin and reapplication should be made every two hours, especially if you are swimming or participating in any activity which causes you to sweat or rub off the sunscreen.
Always follow the directions on the bottle correctly and apply sunscreen generously. If too little is used the protection given will be considerably less (about 50-80%) than that specified on the label.
Should I only use sunscreen to protect myself?
Sunscreens shouldn’t be used as the only method of sun protection. It should be used in conjunction with other methods such as:
- Spend less time in the sun, especially between 11am and 3pm during daylight saving, or 10am and 2pm during other times of the year, when UV rays are at their strongest.
- Stay in the shade, but choose your cover carefully as UV can reflect off certain surfaces.
- Wear clothes that give you good protection and cover as much skin as possible. Closely woven fabrics give the best protection.
- Wear wide-brimmed hats to protect your face, neck and ears.
What else should i do?
Besides using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 15+ in conjunction with the protective methods mentioned, a regularly scheduled skin examination by your doctor is key to detecting skin cancer, as it often takes a trained eye to spot the disease in its early stages.
You should also examine your own skin every two to three months. The best time to do this is after a shower or bath, standing in front of a mirror. For areas hard to view, use a hand held mirror. Get to know your skin, your moles, freckles, blemishes and birthmarks. Be aware of any changes in the size, shape, and colour or number of spots and any sores or blemishes on your skin that don’t heal. These may be the early warning signs of skin cancer.
If you notice anything suspicious, contact your doctor as soon as possible.