Dr Christine Cheng

Wearing sunprotective clothes and a hat and reducing sun exposure to a minimum should be preferred to sunscreens.

Often this solution is deemed to be unacceptable and sunscreens are usually the predominant mode of sun protection.
Sunscreens had been shown to protect against sunburn and less serious forms of skin cancer, said the experts. However, there was no conclusive proof that they prevented the potentially deadly melanoma skin cancer.

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: “Sunscreen is an effective tool, but it should not be used as the single method of sun protection.

Researchers have revealed that adequate protective clothing is more reliable at protecting against melanoma than sunblock alone.

Many people are lulled into a false sense of security and abuse low SPF sun protection during periods of sun exposure. The sensible use of sun block includes:

1. Choosing the right SPF level for the sun exposure level. SPF 15-30 is needed for normal indoor use.
2. Application 15-30 minutes before sun exposure.
3. Liberal even application over all sun exposed areas.
4. UV-A and UV-B protection. UV-B rays cause burning, but it is UV-A rays that cause skin cancers and premature ageing.
5. Reapply if exposure is prolonged and if you sweat or swim.
6. Choose a product that you can apply with ease. There are some that are non-greasy, absorb easily and smell wonderful!

Physical protection used in conjunction with a good sun block is ideal. Once again, sensible barrier choices are essential. I had a client who wore hats everywhere and was convinced she was protecting herself against the sun. However, the hats she preferred either had tiny rims so most of her face was not covered, or had large holes in the rim. Very pretty, but useless as far as sun protection is concerned.

Clothes can offer protection too. Again, clothes made of tightly weaved material is a more sensible choice.

Ultimately, common sense is essential. Some exposure with adequate protection and avoidance of prolonged exposure, particularly at the hottest times of day are vital.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

This entry was posted on May 6, 2007 at 11:32 pm and is filed under Aesthetics, Cancer Prevention, Health & Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.