SOAKING UP THE SUN: OVEREXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT CAN LEAD TO CANCER, SKIN PROBLEMS

Sunblock lotion comes in various strengths for both children and adults, from a protection factor of 8 to factor 50.

The summer sun still sends many people in search of tanning oil and beachwear even though medical officials and the media continue to hype skin protection as a preventative to skin cancer.

Dr. Hal Brown, a dermatologist, said that while people do know about the danger of overexposure to the sun, they have to decide what to do with that information.

In the summer months people are exposed to more UVA and UVB rays of ultra violet light because they tend to spend more time outdoors during warm weather. And that also means they tend to wear less clothing during summertime which leaves more of the skin vulnerable to the sun's rays. UVA and UVB rays are causative agents in sunlight for skin cancers and aging of the skin.

Contrary to popular belief, most changes in the skin are not caused by the passage of time but exposure to light. The sun's rays are strongest can cause the most damage between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., so Brown recommends avoiding the sun during these hours.

"Staying inside during those hours is one way to protect your skin, but that is not always feasible," Brown said. "Your next option would be to cover your skin with clothes or sunscreen."

There are two types of effective sunscreens that offer either a chemical or a physical barrier.

"A chemical sunscreen tries to absorb and change sunlight, thus not letting it have an effect on the skin," Brown said. "A physical sunscreen has micro-sized particles that form a barrier between the skin and the sun."

Pharmacist Jim Crain said that when looking for an effective sunscreen, there is not much of a difference between cheap and expensive brands.

Crain said that people should look for titanium dioxide or PABA as sunscreen ingredients. Titanium dioxide is similar to zinc oxide, a familiar favorite for skin protection. It is a popular sunscreen ingredient because it is doesn't have the thick white coating zinc oxide provides.

"Sunscreens with PABA in them are also fine and are cheaper, but some people are allergic to them," Crain said.

PABA is a chemical sunscreen and some people find it irritating to the skin.

"Personally, I use the cheapest sunscreen I can get," Crain said.

Brown also said SPF or sun protection factor is important when choosing a sunscreen.

"If it takes a person 10 minutes to get burned, then with a 15 SPF they can stay out in the sun 15 times the amount of time it takes for them to burn," Brown said.

A 15 SPF sunscreen gives 93 percent protection from the sun's harmful rays. A sunscreen with a 30 SPF gives 96 percent protection from the rays. Brown said that sunscreens higher than SPF 15 and 30 don't substantially give much more protection. But, for a very fair skinned person, that extra 3 or 4 percent of protection is helpful.

People develop a tan because their skin has sustained damage from the sun. Cells called melanocytes make the pigment in human skin. The pigment, called melanin, is the natural protection the skin makes to keep it from further damage.

"Your skin says, 'Hey, I have undergone an amount of injury and I'm trying to protect myself," Brown said.

Sun damage is cumulative. Prolonged sun exposure leads to skin cancers. The three most common types of skin cancers are: melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell.

Melanoma is the most dangerous and aggressive type of skin cancer. This type of cancer has a greater tendency to spread to another part of the body and effect vital organs than the basal cell or squamous cell varieties.

Brown said when watching for melanoma, people need to pay attention to their moles or pigmented lesions.

"Follow the ABCs when looking for precancerous moles," Brown said. "Watch for Assymetric moles with irregular Borders whose Color is strange and have a Diameter of greater than 6 mm (the size of a pencil eraser)."

Squamous and basal cell are not as easily defined as melanoma, Brown said. People should watch for a changed place on their skin that doesn't go away. It can be waxy or translucent, raised or flat. The areas may be red or simply an ulcerlike sore that will not heal. If an individual notices one or several of these symptoms that persist longer than four weeks see a doctor to make sure they aren't precancerous.