Whereas you'll encounter more UVB rays in summer, UVA rays are present all year round, penetrate the skin more deeply, and even retain power through clouds and windows. They are the biggest cause of skin ageing. While both rays cause skin cancer, UVB is the chief culprit.
A recent survey found that only four out of ten men and six out of ten women consider sun protection on a sunny day in Britain.
Dr Mark Birch-Machin, a Cancer Research UK skin cancer expert in Newcastle, says: 'There is a lack of awareness of the very real risk posed by the sun in the UK. You can still burn in this country, even on a cloudy day. The sunburn will disappear but the damage remains.'
Myth 3: All you need to look for on the label is the SPF.
SPF refers only to the protection against UVB. In the UK we use a star rating system for UVA, with four stars the highest grade. All products will give some UVA protection - look for ones that give 'broad spectrum protection from UVB and all UVA rays'.
Avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789) is a good ingredient for blocking out UVA rays and is used in Dermalogica suncare products (tel. 0800 591818, www.dermalogica.com).
Mexoryl SX is a new ingredient (used in Ambre Soleil products) proven to be effecting at absorbing both UVA and UVB.
Myth 4: I wear a hat so I don't need suncream on my face.
A hat may only provide protection equivalent to SPF 3-5.
'The protectiveness of a hat has been over-rated,' says Dr Oppenheim. 'It's true that if you sit, wearing a hat, under a leafy tree in your garden, shade can be very protective. Ultraviolet radiation is reflected from minute particles in the atmosphere and is absorbed by the leaves.
'But on the beach there are no trees to absorb this indirect radiation.'
Even when wearing a hat, always protect face and neck with sunscreen - paying attention to ears, nose and lips, which, like the scalp, are all areas prone to skin cancers.
Myth 5: SPF60 is twice as good as an SPF30.
A very high SPF can give false confidence. The American FDA (Food and Drug Adminstration) advises a minimum of SPF15 (blocks 92pc of UVB) and a maximum of SPF30 (blocks 96.7pc of UVB).
Doubling your SPF to 60 blocks out only about 1 pc more. In return for this minimal increase in the level of protection, very high SPF suncreens have to contain many more chemicals, which can be irritating to the skin.
However, some experts believe that as most people don't apply nearly enough sunscreen, using a higher SPF does, at least, give a better safety margin. If you're using only one third of the amount you should be, an SPF60 actually only provides an SPF20.
Myth 6: My skin never burns so I can't have damaged my skin.
Having the sort of skin that doesn't burn from UVB exposure gives you a false sense of security. Deep damage can be caused through
UVA, which doesn't usually cause burning.
'Accumulation of this damage can lead to a skin cancer time bomb,' says Dr Birch-Machin.
While darker skin types do have reduced risk, if you have the type of skin that doesn't burn it's still important to use sun protection and, like everyone, to check your skin regularly for any changes in appearance of moles.
Myth 7: Sunbeds are safer for my skin.
Sunbeds - like any UV exposure - can cause skin cancer. Yet tanning centres are still very popular with many people, who think they provide a safe tan.
Research shows 35pc of 17-year-olds girls have used a sunbed.
The majority of rays from a sunbed are UVA - and they are just as damaging as from the sun.
Myth 8: I've already got a tan so I won't burn.
A suntan only gives slight protection from future burning and already indicates damaged skin.
A tan develops when the skin produces a brown pigment called 'melanin' to protect against attacking UV rays. Once you've acquired a tan you've got the natural equivalent of an SPF3 or 4.
But this is forgetting the damage to your skin acquired through getting the tan in the first place.
Myth 9: Fake tans will give you the same protection as dark skin.
A fake tan does not offer any protection in the sun.
'It's misleading when some fake tans claim to include an SPF,' says Dr Rachael Morris-Jones, a dermatologist at London's St Thomas' Hospital.
'Any SPF added to the fake tan will wear off a couple of hours after application. Many people mistakenly think they are still protected when they go out in the sun the next day.'
Myth 10: Skin cancer is more of a woman's disease.
The number of cases of male skin cancer has trebled in the past two decades.
Cancer Research UK believes that while women have started to heed sun warnings and are increasingly protecting themselves, men are still failing to cover up against harmful UV rays.
The most common area for men to get skin cancer is on their back. For women, it is on their legs. This suggests a link with areas of skin commonly exposed in summer. |
