Whether you are light- or dark-skinned, whether it’s cloudy or sunny outside, we physicians recommend you wear a sunscreen, and plenty of it. But, the simple act of preventing a sunburn while enjoying the sun has become complicated with questions about how much sunscreen to use (more than you think), how often to apply (frequently) and what those acronyms (UVA, UPF, SPF) mean. Here’s a CNN article with helpful details:
This week, the Environmental Working Group likened some sunscreens to “modern-day snake oil,” calling most of the products ineffective and questioning their safety. It said that the products were “exposing people to potentially hazardous chemicals.”
The report did not appear in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Dermatologists say there is no evidence that sunscreen is unsafe and that going unprotected is much more dangerous.
The problem is that not all sunscreens are created equal, depending on their ingredients. And the scars of neglecting sun protection are chronicled on the iReport photo wall of pain.
The sun is not the only culprit. Frequent trips to tanning booths have been found to double or even triple risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to a study this week.
The rays from the booth or the sun can damage the skin cell’s DNA, producing mutations that lead to cancer.
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has declared the Friday before Memorial Day, which kicks off the summer, a “Don’t Fry Day.” Here are five tips to avoid joining iReporters’ stories of their worst sunburns ever (ouch).
1. Clothing matters
All clothing protects the skin to some degree, said Dr. Ariel Ostad, a clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology at New York University Medical Center.
A tightly woven fabric such as denim confers more protection than linen, because it allows less light penetration, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
While it’s unlikely anyone would wear sunscreen underneath thin clothes, it might be worthwhile for extra sensitive people, Ostad said,
“Even with T-shirts, I see people who get burned,” he said. “If someone has a history of cancer or is very fair skinned, it doesn’t hurt to put it on,” underneath the clothes.
Some companies create UV-absorbing clothes. These might be helpful for people who spend hours in the sun, because the fabric’s weave is designed to protect against the sun, said Ostad, who has no relationship with any of the manufacturers.
These clothes have ultraviolet protection factor, also known as UPF, which indicates how much UV radiation can penetrate the fabric. A shirt with an UPF of 30 means just 1/30 of the sun’s radiation can get through.
2. Sunscreens should have UVA and UVB protection.
UVB rays cause sunburns. UVA rays age the skin, causing wrinkles and tans. These are two types of ultraviolet radiation that damage and increases risks of skin cancer.
Make sure the sunscreen product has both UVB and UVA protection, dermatologists say. The key active ingredients to look for are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, said Ostad.
“Evidence has shown the best sunscreens are the ones that block UVB and UVA,” Ostad said. “The majority of these companies that market sunscreen products, they try to make people more aware of the SPF.”
3. A high SPF is hype.
The higher the Sun Protection Factor value, the better sun protection the product is supposed to provide against UVB light.
Research shows that an effective SPF 15 can block about 93 percent of all incoming UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97 percent and SPF 50 blocks 98 percent.
The protective factors plateau from there, Ostad said. A product with SPF 100+ blocks about 99.1 percent of the UVB rays.
“You don’t really need a high number,” Ostad said. “They end up being expensive and don’t do more than SPF 50.”
Keep in mind, SPF protects only against UVB rays. This fall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue sunscreen labeling changes and a star-rating system to also measure UVA protection.
4. Sunscreen sprays are not as effective.
Sure, the sprays are easy to apply, but the downfall is they’re less effective. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide doesn’t come in spray form. And most of the sprays protect mainly against UVB rays, Ostad said.
Another problem is that people don’t use enough sunscreen, said Dr. Rutledge Forney, an educational spokesperson for The Skin Cancer Foundation.
An average person should use a dollop — enough to fill a shot glass, she said. About one ounce of sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before going outside and reapplied every two hours, she said.
“Whether the sun is out or not, put on sunscreen on your face and hands, just like you would brush your teeth twice a day,” Forney said.
5. Darker skin tone isn’t a free pass
Darker-skinned people have some natural protective qualities from their pigmentation, but it’s no immunity against sunburn and skin cancer. African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and people of color get the disease, too.
It might be harder to diagnose skin cancer in these populations because the growths often appear in atypical locations such as palms, soles of the feet, toenails and fingernails.
Skin experts say all racial groups need to use sunscreens.
So, have a great Memorial Day (and, for that matter, summer), but be sure to protect your and your family’s skin in the process.
Iwe una ngozi nyepesi au nyeusi, iwe ni mawingu au jua nje, sisi madaktari tunapendekeza utumie kinga ya jua, na mengi yake. Lakini hatua rahisi ya kuzuia kuchomwa na jua wakati wa kufurahia jua imekuwa ngumu na maswali kuhusu kiasi cha kinga ya jua ya kutumia (zaidi ya unavyofikiri), mara nyingi kutumia (mara nyingi) na nini vifupisho hivyo (UVA, UPF, SPF) maana. Katika makala ya CNN, kikundi cha kazi cha mazingira kimelinganisha baadhi ya dawa za kuhifadhi jua na mafuta ya nyoka ya kisasa, na kuitisha bidhaa nyingi kuwa hazina ufanisi na kuhoji usalama wao. Ilisema kwamba bidhaa hizo zilikuwa "zikifunua watu kwa kemikali zenye hatari". Ripoti hiyo haikuchapishwa katika jarida la kisayansi lililokaguliwa na wenzao. Wataalamu wa ngozi wanasema hakuna uthibitisho kwamba krimu ya kujikinga na jua si salama na kwamba kwenda bila kinga ni hatari zaidi. Tatizo ni kwamba si krimu zote za kujikinga na jua zinazotengenezwa kwa usawa, ikitegemea viungo vyake. Na makovu ya kupuuza kinga ya jua yameandikwa kwenye ukuta wa picha wa maumivu ya iReport. Jua si ndilo tu linalolifanya jambo hilo. Kutembelea chumba cha kuota rangi ya jua mara nyingi kunazidisha hatari ya kuambukizwa kansa ya ngozi, aina hatari zaidi ya saratani ya ngozi, kwa mara mbili au mara tatu. Miale ya jua au ya jua inaweza kuharibu chembe za DNA za ngozi, na kusababisha mabadiliko ya chembe za DNA ambayo yanaweza kusababisha kansa. "Kama ilivyoelezwa na Baraza la Kitaifa la Kuzuia Saratani ya Ngozi, Ijumaa kabla ya Siku ya Ukumbusho, ambayo huanza majira ya joto, ni ""Siku ya Usikate.""" 1. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli "Kila kitu kinaweza kuokoa ngozi yako,"" anasema Ariel Ostad, profesa msaidizi wa kliniki katika idara ya dermatolojia katika Chuo Kikuu cha New York." Kwa mfano, nguo za denim huhifadhi ngozi yako vizuri kuliko nguo za kitani, kwa sababu haziruhusu mwanga uingie ndani. "Hata kama ni vigumu kwa mtu yeyote kuvaa sunscreen chini ya nguo nyembamba, inaweza kuwa na thamani kwa watu wa hali ya juu, ""alisema Ostad, ""Hata na T-shirts, naona watu ambao kupata kuchomwa.""" <unk>Kama mtu ana historia ya kansa au ni mwanga sana ngozi, si madhara kwa kuweka juu, <unk> chini ya nguo. Kampuni fulani hutengeneza nguo zinazovuta miale ya UV. "Hizi zinaweza kuwa na manufaa kwa watu ambao hutumia masaa mengi kwenye jua, kwa sababu kitambaa cha kitambaa kimetengenezwa kulinda dhidi ya jua, ""alisema Ostad, ambaye hana uhusiano na mtengenezaji yeyote." Vifaa vya nguo vina kiwango cha ulinzi wa UV (UV Protection Factor) ambacho huonyesha kiasi cha mnururisho unaoweza kupenya ndani ya kitambaa. Kwa mfano, shati lenye kiwango cha UPF cha 30 linamaanisha kwamba nusu ya mnururisho wa jua unaweza kuingia ndani. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Vifaa vya kujikinga na jua vinapaswa kuwa na kinga ya UVA na UVB. Miale ya UVB husababisha kuchomwa na jua. Miale ya UVA hufanya ngozi iwe na umri mrefu, na hivyo kusababisha makunyanzi na rangi ya kahawia. Aina mbili za miale ya ultraviolet huathiri ngozi na kuongeza hatari ya kansa. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya matumizi ya dawa za kuondoa jua, kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na UVB na UVA, na kwa sababu ya matumizi ya dawa za kuondoa jua, kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na UVB na UVA. Ostad alisema kwamba viungo muhimu vinavyohitajika ni oksidi ya zinki na dioksidi ya titani. "Ushahidi umeonyesha kwamba dawa bora za kujikinga na jua ni zile zinazozuia UVB na UVA", Ostad alisema. "Kama vile kampuni nyingine zinazozalisha bidhaa za kuhifadhi jua, ""SafetySafety"" pia inatoa huduma za kuhifadhi jua kwa watumiaji." SPF ya juu ni hype. Kwa sababu ya kiwango cha juu cha kiwango cha ulinzi wa jua, bidhaa inaweza kuhifadhiwa vizuri dhidi ya mwangaza wa UVB. Kwa mfano, SPF 15 inaweza kuzuia karibu 93% ya miale yote ya UVB inayokuja, SPF 30 inazuia 97%, na SPF 50 inazuia 98%. Vipengele vya kinga plateau kutoka hapo, Ostad alisema. Kwa mfano, bidhaa zenye SPF 100+ zinaweza kuzuia asilimia 99.1 ya miale ya UVB. "Huna haja ya idadi kubwa", Ostad alisema. "Hata hivyo, kwa sababu ya gharama kubwa, hakuna bidhaa yoyote ambayo inaweza kuhifadhiwa kwa kiwango cha juu cha SPF 50 au zaidi, na kwa sababu ya kiwango cha juu cha SPF 50, hakuna bidhaa yoyote ambayo inaweza kuhifadhiwa kwa kiwango cha juu cha SPF 50 au zaidi.""" Katika mwaka huu, Idara ya Chakula na Dawa ya Marekani (FDA) inatarajiwa kutoa mabadiliko ya kuashiria sunscreen na mfumo wa nyota-rating pia kupima UVA ulinzi. 4. Uwe na uhakika Vipuli vya kujikinga na jua havifai sana. Bila shaka, dawa hizo ni rahisi kutumia, lakini hasara ni kwamba hazifanyi kazi vizuri. Zinc oksidi na titani dioksidi haina kuja katika fomu ya kunyunyizia. "Kama vile, ""Spray ya UV inahakikisha kwamba hakuna UV-B, na inahakikisha kwamba hakuna UV-B.""" Tatizo jingine ni kwamba watu hawatumii krimu ya kutosha ya kujikinga na jua, akasema Dakt. Rutledge Forney, msemaji wa elimu wa The Skin Cancer Foundation. Mtu wa kawaida anapaswa kutumia dollop <unk> ya kutosha kujaza glasi ya shots, alisema. "Kuhusu gramu moja ya krimu ya kuhifadhi jua inapaswa kutumika dakika 30 kabla ya kwenda nje na kutumika tena kila baada ya saa mbili. """ "Iwe ni jua au la, tumia krimu ya kujikinga na jua usoni na mikononi, kama vile unavyosafisha meno yako mara mbili kwa siku,"" alisema Forney." 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. Rangi nyeusi ya ngozi si bure kupita watu wenye ngozi nyeusi wana baadhi ya sifa za asili za kinga kutoka rangi yao, lakini si kinga dhidi ya sunburn na kansa ya ngozi. Wamarekani wa Kiafrika, Wahispania, Waasia na watu wa rangi hupata ugonjwa huo pia. Inaweza kuwa vigumu kugundua kansa ya ngozi katika idadi hii ya watu kwa sababu ukuaji mara nyingi huonekana katika maeneo yasiyo ya kawaida kama vile mikono, miguu, kucha za miguu na kucha za vidole. Wataalamu wa ngozi wanasema vikundi vyote vya rangi vinahitaji kutumia krimu za kujikinga na jua. Kwa hiyo, kuwa na Siku ya Ukumbusho kubwa (na, kwa jambo hilo, majira ya joto), lakini kuwa na uhakika wa kulinda ngozi yako na familia yako katika mchakato.