Everybody   looks so sharp with this color skin.  You look like silky chocolate and so healthy.  The fact is that this ruins the skin, Sun Tan= Sun Damage.  There are two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays that play roles in  damaging the skin.  UVB is the main cause of sunburn and plays a key in developing skin cancer.  UVA leads to tanning as well as skin aging and wrinkles as well as contributes to sunburn.  UVA rays penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin and they emit 3 times more UV rays.  The chance nationwide of developing any skin cancer in a lifetime is 1 out of 5.  Skin cancers are related both to sunburns and to the total time one spends in the sun.  Severe exposures causing even one blistering sunburn during childhood doubles the risk for  melanoma. The lifetime risk of developing melanoma, which is the deadliest of skin cancers in Whites is about 3% (1 in 38), 0,1% (1 in 1000) in Blacks and 0.6% (1 in 167) in Hispanics).  The 5 year survival rate if the melanoma is confined to where it started is 83%. If spread to nearby lymph nodes 9% and to distant sites is 4%.  Be cautious early in life.   90% of an individual’s total lifetime sun exposure happens before age 20.  Sun exposure also contributes to cataracts and other eye diseases. Tanning beds, lamps or booths are more unsafe than the sun.

There are 2 other main types of skin cancer.  Basal cell is mainly caused by the sun or people who received radiation therapy as kids. It composes 80% of skin cancers. It often develops on the head and neck, and rarely spreads to other body parts.  Squamous cell too is mainly caused by sun exposure.  It can develop in many body areas.  It is found on the lips, at sites of a long standing scar and on the skin outside the mouth, the anus and vagina.  A small percentage spread to other parts of the body.

PROTECTION:

Limit or avoid direct sun, between 10 am and 5 pm in our area.

Wear light weight clothing,  use wide brimmed hats that shade the face, neck and ears.  Clothes labeled with UV protection may provide better cover protection, and do use 100% UV protective sunglasses.

Protect yourself when you are outside, not just at the beach or in the pool. Check your phone to find out what the UV Index is.  It can be high on shady days. If a chemical sunscreen is chosen, apply it about 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure so it can be absorbed into the skin where they absorb UV rays like a sponge. These are composed of a variety of chemical   e.g. oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate etc and are more fluid than mineral sunscreens.

Chemical sunscreens should be reapplied about every 2 hours because the sun degrades them.  Mineral sunscreens also known as physical sunscreens sit on top of the skin and reflects the sun rays. They are also known as sun blockers and do not need to be applied before sun exposure and do not need to be reapplied every 2 hours.  They are made of titanium and/or zinc oxide.  SPF means sun protection factor.   Use an SPF product between 30 and 50.  Higher SPFs may give a false sense of security promoting excessive sun duration.  It is important that the term broad spectrum be on the label which means it protects from both UVA and UVB.

SUNSCREEN CONCERN:

It is known that the sun causes most skin cancers. That is absolutely proven.  We know that in some cases, skin cancer can be deadly.  It is also proven that sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer.  Melanoma can be reduced by 50% and squamous by using it daily.

A common sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone, can interfere with hormones in RATS.  Rats in an experiment were fed a huge amount of oxybenzone equivalent to a human applying sunscreen over the entire body every day for 70 years.  Clearly this would not be applicable to humans.  Oxybenzone is absorbed into the body to some degree, and excreted in urine and breast milk.  The implications are not known, so to be cautious a mineral sunscreen can be considered.

Late during the 2021 spring, benzene was found in 78 sun products out of almost 300 tested.  which is a known cancer causing agent.  It is not an ingredient in sunscreens, but rather a contaminant likely introduced during the manufacturing process.
Giving up sunscreen is not a good idea because of the discovery of benzene in chemical products and subsequent concern. It is not definitively proven that benzene in sunscreen is a danger to public health.  It is well established that UV radiation does cause cancer. Melanoma is one of the most deadly forms of skin cancer and is the 5th most commonly caused cancer in the US. Skin cancer affects more people yearly than breast and prostate cancer combined.   Almost 10,000 people are diagnosed with it every single day.

 J & J Consumer Care Center is available to answer questions about benzene and provide refunds  1-800-458-1673 for specific products which they advise be appropriately discarded.  These include Neutragena Beach Defense, Cool & Dry Sport Aerosol, Invisible Daily Defense and Ultra Shear Aerosols.  In a computer lookup Neutrogena Sunscreen Recall–Product List, FAQ , Refund Form and other details.

Peace,

Irwin J. Kash MD