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Advice on Preventing Sun Damage
By: Yvonne Barry, M.D., PhD., Donielle Freedman, M.D., Medical Director, and Dana Forte, D.O., University Medical Center’s Primary Care Specialists

For years, dark tans were considered very fashionable and for some, even a status symbol. As more people become educated to the damage too much exposure can cause, this trend is on a downswing.

The sun is necessary for warmth and helps our bodies to produce Vitamin D, which is necessary of absorption of calcium. Too much can be damaging to our skin. Fifty-percent of all skin damage occurs before the age of 18. The type of damage incurred from too much exposure can lead to not only premature skin aging (such as thickened, leather, saggy, wrinkled skin), but also to an increased risk of skin cancer.

The most common skin cancer is the Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), which if diagnosed early, is easy to remove, however, there is a high recurrence rate. The second most common type of skin cancer is Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). This type of cancer becomes not only locally invasive (spread under the top layers of skin to deeper ones), but it can, in rare cases, become metastatic (spread to other tissues within the body).

Both BCC and SCC effect approximately 600,000 individuals annually and occurs primarily on the head, neck and forearm-hand regions. They are primarily the result of daily unprotected sun exposure.

Although melanomas occur in one out of 769 individuals, they have been associated with an increased number of deaths since 1973. Melanomas, primarily found on the torso of men and legs of women, can occur in areas of the body where there is less sun exposure, such as in between toes, on the soles of feet or in areas of less pigmented skin.

People who are at a greater risk for all skin cancers include individuals who are fair skinned, who burn easily, have blond or red hair, and green or blue eyes. Individuals with several moles and family history of skin cancers are also at a greater risk and need to get frequent and thorough skin examinations.

Don’t believe you’re protecting yourself by getting a tan from a spa. Actually, it is just as dangerous to your skin to get a tan from a tanning booth as it is lying out in the sun. A second misconception is the belief that younger skin is less prone to cancer. As mentioned earlier, over 50% of all skin damage occurs before the age of 18! Another popular myth is that cloud cover is protective and filters out UVB rays. This is untrue. Over 70% UV rays can penetrate even dense cloud cover.

Prevention to sun damage and sun burns is the key when looking to minimize your chances of skin cancer and maintaining younger skin. Limit sun exposure to less than three hours per day and avoiding peak times, which are between the hours of 11 am to 4 pm. Use an effective sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 and is waterproof. Don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen every two hours, wear sunglasses, sun protective clothing and stay in the shade whenever possible.

Yvonne Barry, M.D., PhD., Donielle Freedman, M.D., Medical Director, and Dana Forte, D.O., University Medical Center’s Primary Care Specialists
University Medical Center’s Primary Care Specialists
Yvonne Barry, M.D., PhD.,
Donielle Freedman, M.D., Medical Director
Dana Forte, D.O.