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Protect your skin against the sun's dangers

Rep. Sue Schmitz, Guest columnist

With the summer season in full swing across Alabama, now is a great time to enjoy many different outdoor activities. When it is not too hot, being outside and soaking up some sunshine just feels good. Sunlight can provide for a lovely summer day, helps our plants and vegetation grow, and is even believed to help invigorate the soul. However, too much exposure to the sun can be dangerous, or even deadly. While sunlight is great for many things, the sun also provides ultraviolet rays, which have been linked to various types of skin cancer. This year alone, more than one million cases of cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. While most kinds are highly curable, their treatment can leave noticeable scars on visible parts of the body.

However, scarring isn't the only damage that the sun can cause. Melanoma is a more serious form of skin cancer related to sun damage, and is far less curable. From 1999-2004, the Alabama Health Department reports that 5,827 cases of melanoma were diagnosed, with nearly 700 proving fatal.

Studies show that about 80 percent of UV damage from sun exposure occurs in childhood and adolescence. Unfortunately, for many of us, most of the damage occurred when we did not know the potential danger that the sun posed, and did nothing to protect our skin. While we can't erase the harm done years ago, there are several preventive measures that we can take now to keep new problems from occurring. Nowadays there is so much misinformation about sun protection, and it is important to be aware of a few tips to help keep your skin healthy and safe this summer.

First and foremost, try to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Gone are the days of staying in the sun all day, or using oils to help aid in the tanning process. If you do have to be out in the sun, try to do so in short intervals, rather than long stretches of time.

Another myth is that the sun can't hurt those who are already tanned. However, getting a tan or using a tanning product that dyes the skin temporarily offers minimal protection against sun damage. If you are in the sun, the best way to protect yourself is by wearing sunscreen. However, wearing sunscreen does not make us invincible from the sun's harm, especially if sunscreen is not used properly. Proper sunscreen application, or "slathering," is using one ounce of a product on an average body wearing an average bathing suit. Dermatologists recommend the routine daily use of a sunscreen with an S.P.F. rating of 15 or higher on all exposed areas.

However, fair skinned folks or anyone who has already had skin cancer should use a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 30, which blocks more than 97 percent of the sun's rays. For sunscreen to be effective, it should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and should be reapplied every two hours, especially after swimming or heavy sweating.