Sun Screens

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The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.

Were you up at the 15th Anniversary of Dauphin’s Country Fest over the July long week-end? The music was great. The parties were hopping. The people were friendly. The weather, well, let’s say raincoats were more of an issue than sunscreen. However, the weather channel says summer isn’t cancelled. It will still show up…sometime. Because I have faith in warm weather returning, let’s talk about sunscreen.

Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in Canada, and the fastest growing cancer in the world. In 2000 68,000 Canadians were diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer, and 3,700 with malignant melanoma, the more aggressive form of the disease. In 2003 the estimates are 75,000 Canadians with non-melanoma skin cancer and 3,900 with malignant melanoma. Since 1988 the death rate from malignant melanoma is up 41% for men and 23% in women. The Canadian Cancer Society says that anyone born today has a one in seven chance of getting skin cancer in their lifetime.

What are those UV Indexes that are reported in weather reports?

UV Index Range Exposure Category Action Required
0-2 Low Minimal Sun Protection
3-5 Moderate Take precaution
6-7 High Protection Required
8-10 Very High Extra Precautions Required
11+ Extreme Take full precautions

The UV index is a measure of the intensity of the sun’s UV rays on the earth’s surface. It predicts the maximum value expected on that day, taking into account many of the factors that effect UV radiation strength. The sun emits radiation across the entire spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays. The part of the spectrum we are most interested in for skin health are the Ultra-violet wavelenghts. Ultra-violet wavelengths are not visible to us, they are too short. And there are 2 types of UV radiation we talk about, UVA and UVB. It is an over-simplication, because both UVA and UVB can cause aging, cancer etc, but you can think of UVA causing the skin to age (wrinkles, lose elasticity, etc.), and UVB causing cancer. There is a UVC which is even more energetic and thus even more dangerous than UVB, but its wavelengths are so short it is completely absorbed by the atmosphere.

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 60-70% of skin cancer cases in Canada could be prevented if Canadians adopted safer lifestyles. So what are these safer lifestyle choices?
Here are some more practical suggestions.
· Avoid the sun when it is most intense. These are between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm.
· Wear a sunscreen of sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 and that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation.
· For an adult use at least ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) for face and neck, ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) for each arm and shoulder , ½ to 1 teaspoon (2.5 to 5 ml) for on your chest and back, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) for each leg.
· Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours when outdoors, especially after swimming or sweating heavily. Waterproof sun screens will stick better.
· Wear a hat and long-sleeved garment.

As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.