Stay healthy in the sun
Facts:
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A tan is evidence of damaged skin, and leads to premature ageing of the skin.
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Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in Great Britain - over 46,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, 6,000 of which are malignant melanoma, and 2,000 people die from it each year.
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A history of sunburn in childhood is associated with an increased risk of developing skin cancer in later life.
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Doctors think that at least four out of five cases of skin cancer could be prevented if people took simple steps to reduce their sun exposure.
These are scary statistics. Most of us love sunshine - it lifts our spirits and makes us feel good, but the well-publicised risks of unprotected over-exposure to the sun's UV rays cannot be ignored. The good news is that, provided we all take care and follow the SunSmart Code the risks of suffering the long term side effects of being out in the sun can be greatly reduced.
The SunSmart Safety Code
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Avoid the sun at its height
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Take care never to burn
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Use shade where ever possible: trees, umbrellas etc
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Take extra special care of babies' and children's delicate skin
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Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection
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Cover up with tightly woven, loose fitting clothes: long sleeves, trouser and skirts
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Always use a broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF15 or higher) with UVA protection, even if you have a tan
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Check your skin regularly and report and unusual changes without any delay
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Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
Sun protection clothing
There is now a wide range of clothing specifically designed to offer high levels of protection from the sun's harmful rays, from sun hats and trousers, to shirts, scuba and bathing suits and body suits for young children. These are available from many high street shops.
Look for garments that offer a 'high' or 'very high' level of sun, or UPF, protection - some give you a UPF of over 50, the same as a factor 50 sunscreen.
Sunglasses
Make sure the glasses comply with BS 2724, and seek the advice of your retailer or optician - ideally, sunglasses should offer at least 95% UV protection - look for 'wraparound' styles for even more protection.
Sunscreen
The first line of defence against the sun should be shade seeking, and wearing protective clothing and brimmed hats. But you can still catch the sun in the shade as UV rays are reflected off pale surfaces. Using sunscreen or suncream, in addition to these other measures, will increase the protection available. Sunscreen is widely available in a huge price range, and with a bewildering array of SPF (Sun Protection Factors) and UVA star ratings.
The sun's ultraviolet rays can broadly be split into two categories - UVB rays which cause tanning, burning and blistering and some types of skin cancers, and UVA, which penetrates deeper into the body, causing ageing and cancer. The SPF number on a bottle of sunscreen tells you the amount of protection against UVB the product affords. Remember, the higher the number, the greater the protection. The UVA star rating tells you the level of protection against these types of ray - again, the more stars, the more the protection, 4 stars currently being the highest available.
Further information on sunburn, inlcuding symptoms, treatment and prevention can be found on the NHS Direct| website.