U.K. Travel Doctor - Sun Exposure

[NakedGary]

Nudists must always be aware of Sun Exposure

Here is a great "The Travel Doctor's" information on Sun Exposure"

Link to: The U.K. Travel Doctor - Sun Exposure - (http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/sunburn.htm)

[NakedGary]

Nudists must always be aware of Sun Exposure

Here is a great "The Travel Doctor's" information on Sun Exposure"

Link to: The U.K. Travel Doctor - Sun Exposure - (http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/sunburn.htm)

[johny]

RE: normal sensitive skin in mild European climate needs SPF-50, but dark skin SPF-25. Skin may burn in the 15 minutes...
An anecdote.
I may agree that VERY sensitive skin may burn in half of hour if without of any SPF. But for us often got a large doseage, one or two days in a raw without of any creme is just the norm.
Perhaps it may be other in a tropical zone, but about Europe - this site looks like overkilling.

[Bobx23456]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by johny:
RE: normal sensitive skin in mild European climate needs SPF-50, but dark skin SPF-25. Skin may burn in the 15 minutes...
An anecdote.
I may agree that VERY sensitive skin may burn in half of hour if without of any SPF. But for us often got a large doseage, one or two days in a raw without of any creme is just the norm.
Perhaps it may be other in a tropical zone, but about Europe - this site looks like overkilling. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The advice may be about right for the blond or redhead scandanavian who is close to albino, but for many Europeans it does sound like overkill. A half hour of sun twice a day for a couple of weeks in the spring turns you hide darker and greatly decreases your need for sunblock.

On the sun/cancer link, I've read several times that high number SPF sunblocks fool the wearer into thinking that they can lie in the sun all day without getting cancer risk, while in fact the SPF doesn't block the damaging rays at all. High SPF sunblock fools people into getting too much sun exposure and has increased the rates of skin cancer. Meanwhile, vitamin D which bodies make while exposed to the sun significantly reduces cancer of various sorts including skin cancer so avoiding sun also raises cancer rates. My own plan is to get some sun every day in the spring till I start getting more brown, my vitamin D level is up and my natural tanned skin prevents sunburn. I sometimes carry high SPF for emergencies on long hikes in case I'm getting more sun than I planned on, but can't remember using it for several years.
Blessings
Bob

[atalanta]

I seem to recall reading that products with SPF over 30 tend themselves to contain carcinogens which may be as bad or worse than UV. Perhaps somebody with expert knowledge could comment?

[Fuzzy Nuts]

I think the secret is being very careful your first few times out in the sun in the spring and gradually as you develop a tan you will be able to spend longer times in sun.

Some of us tan easier than others. - I am blonde with blue eyes and normally this would indicate having to be very careful in sun. However despite this I tan very easily. I do start out with about a 15 sunscreen and as my colour darkens over the season I drop it down to a lower number. By the summer I am outside working around the yard (naked of course) for most of the day.

[NakedGary]

How to Fake a Summer Tan

Link: About.com "How to Fake a Summer Tan. (http://beauty.about.com/od/faketanners/a/selftan.htm)

http://beauty.about.com/od/faketanners/a/selftan.htm
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[NakedGary]

Top 9 Best Sun Screens

Link: About.com "Top 9 Best Sun Screens. (http://beauty.about.com/od/sunscree1/tp/sunscreenstop.htm)

http://beauty.about.com/od/sunscree1/tp/sunscreenstop.htm
.

[NakedGary]

Sunscreen Myths and Facts

link to article: "Sunscreen Myths and Facts". (http://pediatrics.about.com/od/sunscreen/a/sunscreen_myths.htm)

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/sunscreen/a/sunscreen_myths.htm
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[NakedGary]

Tan tales that could make a dermatologist cry (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18963643/)
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[NakedGary]

Docs Warn Sunworshippers to Protect Skin

Friday, June 01, 2007
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

TRENTON, N.J. —
Too much of a good thing can be painful, even deadly, when it comes to sunshine. So with summer just about in full swing, dermatologists and skin cancer researchers say people should limit their time in the sun and take other steps to protect themselves from the sun.
"Enjoy it, but enjoy it in moderation and with common sense," said Dr. Warren Heymann, head of the division of dermatology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
With skin cancer on the rise, doctors have been issuing such warnings for years, but many people don't heed them _ or wrongly think slapping on a little sunscreen once before a full day at the beach or pool is all they need. That's the biggest mistake people make, Heymann said.
"It's not enough. If you're going to be outside, try to stay out of the midday sun, stay in the shade, wear appropriate clothing," use sunscreen and reapply it every two to three hours and after swimming or heavy sweating, Heymann said.
Appropriate clothing includes a hat that covers the scalp, long sleeves if it's not too hot and fabrics that aren't open-weaved or too thin.
A thin, white T-shirt allows the ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancer and sunburn to penetrate, so sunscreen should be applied underneath, said Dr. Jonathan Lee, a melanoma specialist at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
People should also check sunscreen labels to see exactly what the product does; the SPF, or sun protection factor, listed on the bottle only refers to protection against ultraviolet B rays, which primarily cause sunburn. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply and are the main cause of skin cancer and premature aging, so sunscreens that provide broad UVA and UVB protection are best.
Older sunscreens block UVB rays well, but are less effective against UVA. Newer products do a better job against UVA rays but are much more expensive, Heymann said.
Products with the ingredients Helioplex or Mexoryl are "photo stable," so they aren't broken down quickly by UVA rays and work for a few hours. Chemical-free blockers containing titanium oxide or zinc oxide, which also protect well against both UVA and UVB rays, are a particularly good choice for anyone experiencing rashes from other sunscreens, Heymann added.
Lee said New Jersey has a high incidence of melanoma, which causes about 3 percent of skin cancer cases but roughly 80 percent of skin cancer deaths nationally. He's not sure why it's so common here, but noted that about 90 percent of skin cancer cases are directly related to sun exposure, with the rest related to genes.
"Some people are a lot more prone to developing skin cancer," Lee said.
Those include fair-skinned people who burn rather than tan, people who have previously had melanoma or have a family history of it, and people with "atypical" moles: ones that are asymmetrical, have jagged borders or varying colors, and are about one-quarter inch in diameter or larger. Those moles and any showing signs of changes should be checked, because skin cancer usually is curable if treated early.
This year, the American Cancer Society estimates about 59,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma, and about 8,110 will die of it. That's up from about 48,250 new melanoma cases in 2002, when deaths were slightly higher at about 9,900, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In New Jersey, new melanoma cases rose by about 50 percent from 1999 through 2002, then dipped slightly in 2003, the latest year for which data are available.
Including less dangerous skin cancers such as basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, there are more than 1 million new U.S. cases a year, almost as many as all other cancers combined, said Alan Conney, director of the Laboratory for Cancer Research at Rutgers University.
Reasons for the increase in cases include the thinning of the ozone layer, use of tanning salons and people going outside more _ and wearing less clothing compared to decades ago when attire covered more skin, said Conney.
He's been doing tests in mice on two substances that appear to prevent cells whose DNA has been damaged by ultraviolet light from turning cancerous. He's about to start testing them in people to try to develop a protective cream or oral medicine, but that could be years away.
___

[NakedGary]

Vitamin D shown to cut cancer risk in women, Major study suggests supplement wards off several types of cancer (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19098606/)
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[bobk]

In my very uneducated opinion, as I have no medical training, the use of sunscreen allows people to remain exposed to the sun for excessive periods. Sunburn is the body's way of signalling over-exposure to the sun.

I read about an Australian study that found that unprotected exposure to the sun cured skin cancer. This is counter-intutitive to popular thinking.

I never use sunscreen unless I am in a situation where I can not escape the sun and want to ensure that I do not burn, but those occasions are extremely rare. Having a very fair complexion I need to be constantly on guard for burning, but I find that I can build up resistance to burning with frequent short exposures to the sun.

Skin cancer rates seem to have increased with the promotion of sunscreen usage. I would like to see results of a study testing that relationship, but I probably never will because of the powerful lobby of sunscreen manufacturers.

I am also skeptical of Vitamin D pills as a substitute for unprotected sun exposure as a source of Vitamin D.

The sun is the creator of all life. I think we should cherish exposure to the sun but at the same time respect its power.