How to choose sunscreen and not get skin cancer

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We answer a bunch of paranoid questions: which sunscreen to buy, what characteristics to pay attention to, whether it is worth trusting creams or their effectiveness is overestimated. Find out everything you need to know about sunburn protection in this article.

The statistics are not encouraging: 50 to 70% of skin cancers are associated with excessive sun exposure. We are talking mainly about melanoma, one of the most dangerous malignant tumors in humans and the most aggressive form of cancer. And she is, of course, deadly.

The standard antidote for those afraid of the sun is sun protection creams.

1. How does sunburn affect the development of cancer?

It's no secret that prolonged exposure to the sun increases the risk of skin damage. The greatest harm is caused by sunburn. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor how you tan and whether you are not getting so much that you cause irreparable damage to your skin.

Sunburns are most harmful during childhood, as young skin is very vulnerable to cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation. The younger you were when you got a sunburn, the higher your risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

However, don't panic right away: the effect of the sun on your skin depends on many different factors. This can include both heredity (skin color, the presence of moles, the predisposition of relatives to cancer), and environmental factors (time spent in the sun, the degree of sun exposure, the severity of the burn received, and so on).

2. If I am easily sunburned, is my predisposition to skin cancer higher?

Yes it's true. There are several types of skin, and each has a special attitude towards tanning. In general, the darker your skin, the less likely you are to sunburn and develop skin cancer.

Someone who has dark skin is much less at risk of skin disease and cancer. People with very pale skin, redheads, or those with very poor tanning properties are most exposed to the harmful effects of the sun's rays.

3. I have never used sunscreen products. I will die?

You will definitely die. But not necessarily skin cancer. Don't panic, get some sunscreen and reread the previous paragraph carefully.

4. And what to do with the fact that the skin is aging?

Keeping the beauty and youthfulness of the skin as long as possible is quite important. But it is much more important to protect your health. Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn, which can lead to early skin aging and cancer.

5. Does the use of sunscreen reduce the risk of skin cancer?

Medical research makes it pretty clear that sunscreen can reduce the risk of at least one type of cancer - squamous cell cancer. Melanoma is much more complicated.

The main problem lies in the study of the disease. The fact is that melanoma is often detected only years after receiving sun exposure.

Insolation - exposure of the earth's surface to solar radiation.

Also plays an important role and the fact that insolation is very unstable. For example, people living in the north get a dose of solar heat only in summer or when they are on vacation in southern countries. An important role in the study of the disease is also played by taking into account such factors as the use or non-use of sunscreens, the type of skin of the patient, heredity, and so on.

Sunscreens help prevent cancer risk to some extent. They are created in order to rid us of sunburn, which are the main prerequisites for the disease.

Eleni Linos Senior Lecturer in Dermatology at the University of California San Francisco

To date, only one fairly large-scale study has been conducted on the relationship between sunscreen and cancer. Scientists from Australia were engaged in it, but there are no exact predictions yet.

6. Is cancer caused by using sunscreen?

No! There are epidemiological studies showing that people who use sunscreen frequently are more likely to develop skin cancer. But there is a logical explanation for this. The fact is that most often sunscreens are used by fair-skinned people who are easier to burn in the sun.

As we wrote above, such people are much more prone to the risk of skin cancer than those who have a darker skin tone. It is from here that such research results came from. Sunscreen has nothing to do with it.

It is also worth noting that people using sunscreen often lose their vigilance. They use a cream with a high sun protection factor and think that they can be in the sun for a very, very long time without harm to their health. This sense of security is false. The risk of getting skin cancer remains high.

7. Does sunscreen block vitamin D intake?

No. An experiment carried out on a group of Australian adults found no relationship between vitamin D intake and sunscreen use during the summer. Your vitamin D levels will not change in any way due to the use of protective agents.

8. What is SPF?

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a sun protection factor. It refers to the ability of cosmetics to protect your skin from harmful sun rays and prolong the time it saves you in the sun.

To calculate the sunscreen factor, cream makers compare skin with sunscreen to skin without sunscreen and look at how long it takes for it to turn reddish.

However, don't immediately think that SPF cream is a panacea for skin cancer. There are two types of sun rays that can harm your skin and cause cancer: UVB and UVA. UVB rays cause burns, increasing the likelihood of cancer. UVA rays damage the skin at a deeper level, causing it to lose elasticity and activating the aging process. This, in turn, leads to the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.

Previously, it was believed that UVA rays can only cause cosmetic harm, but recently it was found that they are also associated with the occurrence of cancer.

9. With what value of SPF should I choose a cream?

Usually, on packages of sunscreens, there is a number immediately after the reduction of SPF. It means how much longer you can be in the sun with the cream without getting burned than without the cream. The SPF value ranges from 2 to 50 units. SPF 50 means you can handle 50 times that amount of UV light without risking your health.

Most people don't know how to properly use sunscreen at all. They either apply them incorrectly or in insufficient quantities. There is an opinion that the higher the SPF value of the cream, the more effective it is.

It should be understood that products with SPF 30 do not protect twice as effectively as products with SPF 15. Despite the large numerical value, the difference in the degree of absorption and reflection of rays is not so great. For example, a product with SPF 30 transmits 3.3% of radiation, and with SPF 50 - 2%.

Often on store shelves, you can find creams with a protective factor of up to 100 units. This is nothing more than deception and delusion.

The SPF index protects against exposure to short UVB rays only. But what about UVA rays? In this case, dermatologists recommend choosing a broad-spectrum sunscreen that will protect you from two types of harmful rays at once.

As for the SPF level, most dermatologists agree that the best option is creams with an SPF protection index of 30. If you are going on an active holiday that includes frequent immersion in water, then pay attention to waterproof sunscreens. Waterproof products should protect your skin for at least 40 minutes in water.

10. What is the difference between physical and chemical types of sunscreen?

There are two types of sunscreens: physical and chemical. The former reflects ultraviolet radiation while the latter absorbs UVB rays.

The most common ingredients in physical sunscreens are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to help protect you from the sun. They do not penetrate the skin, but form a kind of protective screen on it, which reflects ultraviolet radiation.

Chemical sunscreens are artificially created and work in such a way that they are absorbed into the skin. They often include substances such as avobenzone and benzophenone.

Chemical creams are resistant to water and do not leave whitish streaks on the body, unlike natural ones. There are also products that combine a combination of chemical and physical sunscreens.

11. What about the chemicals in the creams?

At first glance, sunscreens are completely safe, but we don't know much about the cumulative effect after using them.

There were some concerns about the toxicity of their constituents, such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. But there is no clarity on these issues yet.

The 4-aminobenzoic acid found in sunscreens can cause skin irritation, including rashes and acne.

The chemicals octinoxate and oxybenzone are suspected of disrupting the hormonal system. However, like parabens. How this will affect people is still unclear.

Parabens are chemical preservatives derived from petroleum and are found in many cosmetics, including sunscreens. The most common among them are methylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben. According to research, they are safe for people in small doses, but it cannot be stated with absolute certainty that they will not harm health when they are accumulated in a decent amount.

Accurate research on all issues related to the chemicals contained in sunscreens has not yet been carried out.

12. Are sunscreen sprays dangerous?

The main concern here is misuse. The main danger is that the chemicals in the spray can be inhaled or swallowed.

It is also quite common for sprays to be sprayed near open flames. Therefore, be careful and use safety precautions when using this particular sun protection product.

13. How to use sunscreen correctly?

First of all, read the instructions, which must be on the jar. If not, then here are some universal recommendations:

• Apply the cream to dry skin 15-20 minutes before going outside.
• Apply the cream to exposed skin areas (face, ears, hands, lips).
• Reapply the protectant every two hours and reapply after each bath.
• Do not spare the protective agent and apply it in a thick layer (for an adult, you need about the palm of your hand).
• Do not use an expired sunscreen.
• If you are allergic, be sure to check with your doctor before purchasing sunscreen.

14. Can I apply a protective cream on my back myself?

This can definitely be done if you are very, very flexible. If not, then they have long come up with a lot of devices that will make your life easier.

Special spatulas, washcloths, rollers - with their help, every centimeter of your body will receive the desired portion of sunscreen. By the way, all these gizmos are not so difficult to make, even in.

15. How long can sunscreen be stored?

The expiration date of sunscreens is indicated on the packaging. As a rule, it does not exceed three years with proper storage. If the cream has come into direct sunlight or was stored in a warm place, then it is better not to use it, since all the active ingredients will become useless.

16. What if I hate sunscreen?

There are many cheaper and safer ways to prevent sunburn than using sunscreen. The main goal is to prevent sunburn. If a person is afraid of exposure to harmful chemicals, then alternative methods of protection can be used, because the main thing is the result.

Eleni Linos dermatologist

Wear wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses - protect all exposed skin from the sun. There is another, very cardinal way of protection - simply not to appear on the street at a time when ultraviolet radiation is especially harmful (from 11 to 15 hours).