Stay Safe in the Sun this Summer
SUMMER truly arrived this month and as the temperatures soared people all over the UK were out in the sunshine at every opportunity to catch a few rays.
Some of us will be jetting off to even sunnier shores in the next couple of months for our annual sun worshipping pilgrimage.
But how many of us think about the damage we are doing to our skin?
Skin cancer is so far from our minds when we are enjoying a nice well earned break relaxing in the sunshine but the truth is that 2,000 people die from skin cancer each year in the UK and experts say that most skin cancers are preventable.
The number of people getting mole cancer (malignant melanoma) has doubled in the UK over the past 20 years. In Australia and New Zealand, where people are much more aware of the dangers of sunbathing, and sunbathe less, the incidence of melanoma is falling. I can think of an add campaign when I was a young “tacker” that promoted Slip, slop, slap. Slip on a t-shirt, Slop on some sun screen and slap on a hat. No such advertising exists here yet most of you spend time in sunnier climbs. So it doesn’t matter if London’s weather is poor you still need to be educated on sun safety.
Experts say that most skin cancers are preventable - the vast majority of them being caused by exposure to sunlight.
There can be a lapse of up to 30 years between UV exposure and the development of skin cancer and sunburn in childhood is thought to substantially increase the risk of melanoma in later life.
Dr Sarah Wakelin, consultant dermatologist at Bishops Wood Hospital in Northwood, says that a tan only forms when the skin’s DNA has been damaged by ultraviolet radiation whether from the sun or a tanning bed.
A tan is actually the skin’s way of trying to protect itself against further damage. There is no such thing as a healthy tan!
So here are some top tips to avoid sun damage:
Rethink how you will spend your time on holiday. In order to avoid the most damaging ultraviolet rays, stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm. Take a siesta, or simply rest in the shade with a long, cool drink.
If you are in the sun, cover up with loose, cool clothing and wear a broad brimmed hat and sunglasses.
Apply a sunscreen of at least Factor 15 to exposed areas of skin, and re-apply it regularly and generously. Most people don’t use sunscreen thickly enough to get the protection on the label, and it’s easy to forget important places like the neck, temples and ears.
You can still be sunburned in the water or when there is light cloud or a breeze, and special care must be taken to protect children from the sun’s damaging rays.
You don’t need to be sunbathing to get skin damage. This can also happen when you are outside gardening or playing sports such as tennis or golf, so make sure you are always protected when you are outside in the sun.
Remember, the only safe tan is a fake tan. Enjoy your summer all. - Kennedy