How Does Sunscreen Work To Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer
Adrian Fletcher
Skin cancer is an increasingly common disease that is thought to be caused by over exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This combined with certain genetic predispositions, like fair skin, can make a person particularly vulnerable to developing skin cancer. Most people get exposed to UV radiation from spending time in the Sun. As it is practically impossible to avoid being in the Sun, minimizing the amount of time spent in the Sun or limiting it's impact on the skin is often advised. This article will cover some of the ways to protect yourself from the damaging affect of the Sun. It concentrates on how sunscreen can protect you from developing skin cancer.
Sunscreen is not the only thing that can be used to prevent skin cancer but should be viewed as a part of an overall strategy that limits your exposure to UV rays.
Avoid going out in the Sun when it is strongest. This means from around 11 in the morning through to 3 in the afternoon. Naturally, mid days is the worst time to be out in the Sun. Granted, this may not always be possible, especially if you work outdoors or leave the office for lunch. In this case take other precautions.
Protect your skin with clothing. Cover as much of your body as practically possible. The arms and legs are often exposed so think about wearing long sleeve shirts or long pants if practical.
Wear a hat with a wide brim. You could also use a sun umbrella if you don't like hats but a hat is the best method of protecting the scalp and face.
Wear sunglasses that absorb UVA and UVB radiation, as they can damage the eyes. Not only can they cause melanoma developing but they can lead to cataracts and other diseases.
After taking all these precautions you should then apply sunscreen. Cover parts of your body that are not protected by clothing and come into direct contact with the sunlight.
Sunscreens come in two types. The more common type is a chemical sunscreen that absorbs UV rays. The other type is a physical sunscreen that reflects or blocks the UV rays (these are sometimes called sunblocks).
The sun protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen is often used to illustrate it's strength and effectiveness. Most advice suggests that you use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 . However the SPF of a sunscreen only applies to UVB radiation. Although this is thought to be the worst form of radiation for skin cancer, recent research suggest that UVA radiation can be just as bad. If you want a sunscreen that protects against both UVB and UVA radiation then you should look at what is marketed as broad spectrum sunscreen.
Sunscreens that act as a sun block are particularly useful if you work outdoors or spend plenty of time in the Sun. They are a thick cream that provides a barrier to the sunlight. People often put them on sensitive parts of the body like the lips and nose.
Sunblock creams will consist of either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (and are sometimes called zinc cream). If you don't fancy having a band of white cream covering your nose then an alternative is ultramicronized titanium or zinc sunscreens. They act in the same way as a sunblock but the cream is clear and is not obvious on the face.
Regardless of the type of sunscreen you go for, remember to always reapply it every 2 hours. This may vary depending on how active you are in the Sun. Get a cream that you like in terms of texture or fragrance so that the reapplication is not such a chore.
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