Tanning true or false
sun screen,skin care,sun care
three friends on the beach
By Beauty Editor Katie Corcoran
There really is nothing worse than sunburnt skin. Not only is it incredibly dangerous - think skin cancer, - but really ladies, it just doesn\'t look good. So don\'t get caught out this year be it on holiday or lazing in the garden. Read on to discover the truth about those sun tanning myths...
Does sun tanning age my skin more than if I sit in the shade?
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Woman on beach
The experts at Lancaster Sun tell us, "Spending time in direct sunlight will have more of an ageing effect on your skin than sitting in the shade, because you\'re exposed to more of the sun\'s rays. However don\'t trust parasols; parasols and umbrellas do not completely block out the sun because the sand also reflects UV rays. Moreover, up to 80% of UV rays pass right through clouds."
Can you sun bath when you\'re pregnant?
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Feet in sea water
Julienne Curran, Medical Relations Manager for Vichy and La Roche-Posay says, "It\'s fine, as long as you go easy. During pregnancy your skin becomes more sensitive to sunlight, increasing your risk of burning and subsequent damage so you should always take care to use a high SPF sun cream if you\'re planning to spend a lot of time in it."
How long before I have to reapply after swimming or sports?
sun screen,Lancaster,skin care,sun care
woman applying sun tan cream
The experts at Lancaster Sun tell us, "Water-resistant products resist two 20-minute swims taken 20 minutes apart and waterproof products resist four 20-minute swims. However it\'s advisable to reapply immediately after a prolonged swim, the new Sunspot range from Lancaster Sun is perfect for this as it\'s easily rubbed into wet skin."
Sunspot range from Lancaster Sun is available now nationwide
I\'ve got dark skin -- do I need to use a high SPF?
sun screen,skin care,sun care
woman sitting in hammock
Julienne Curran, Medical Relations Manager for Vichy and La Roche-Posay says, "If you have dark skin you still need to protect yourself against harmful UVA and B rays, you may not see any signs of sunburn but UVA rays accelerate skin ageing and can cause sun intolerances and hyper-pigmentation (brown spots) as well as skin cancer. We need to be aware of the invisible damage as much as the visible so we always advise using a high UVA/UVB protection whether or not we have dark skin. We recommend a minimum protection of SPF 20 with a high UVA protection to protect against the immediate and long term deleterious effects on your skin such as skin ageing and the risk of developing skin cancer.
Over 2,300 people die from skin cancer each year in the UK, and most of these cases are due to malignant melanoma. In fact, there are more skin cancer deaths in the UK than in Australia due to poor attitudes towards sun safe behaviour."
By wearing sunscreen, you are 100% safe from sun damage.
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Womans legs on a sandy beach
Dr David Orentreich, Clinique\'s Guiding Dermatologist says, "Wearing a sunscreen, as directed, is your single most powerful anti-ageing tool, however, we cannot emphasise strongly enough that no sun protection product is perfect, whether through technological limitations or user application errors. Therefore, we remind our patients to wear protective hats and clothing, and to avoid exposure at midday. In addition, while foundation, lipstick or blush may contain SPF 15, the application method is key. Apply faithfully and cover all exposed areas."
I\'ve still got suntan cream from last summer at home, is it OK to use it this year?
sun screen,skin care,sun care
woman applying sun tan cream
Clare O\'Connor, Boots Technical Expert, Sun Protection says, "The answer is to check the sun cream. If it looks OK smooth and shiny and smells OK then it is fine to use again, provided it has been stored in ambient temperatures."
I\'m already sunburnt - do I cover up or can I apply more suncream? Surely you can\'t burn on top of a
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Woman laying in the sun
Clare O\'Connor, Boots Technical Expert, Sun Protection says, "If you burn, a soothing aftersun should be applied and you should definitely stay out of the sun and cover up with a t-shirt and wide brimmed hat when outside. Sunburn in childhood and indeed at any stage of life will increase your risk of skin cancer considerably. Following the sun smart code will keep your skin healthy; reduce skin ageing hyper-pimgentation and the risk of skin cancer... We recommend using a high UVA/UVB to protect your skin in the sun and if you want to tan use a fake tan."
SPF 30 provides double the protection that SPF 15 provides.
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Woman laying in a swimming pool
Dr David Orentreich, Clinique\'s Guiding Dermatologist says, "SPF 15 protects against approximately 95 % of UVB rays and SPF 30 protects against approximately 98 % of UVB rays. The level of SPF multiplied by the amount of time it takes you to burn without sunscreen = the minutes of protection that you will get by using that level of sunscreen. For example, if it usually takes you 10 minutes to burn in the sun without using sunscreen, you will get 150 minutes of sun protection by using SPF 15.
Since there is considerable variation in the manner in which sunscreen is applied, we prefer patients err on the side of caution with a higher SPF. We generally recommend SPF of 15-30 for most patients."
Can any kind of sun tanning cause skin cancer?
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Woman laying by a swimming pool
Graham Woods, Simple Technical Suncare Expert says, "You can\'t get a suntan without increasing your risk of developing skin cancer as a suntan is your skin\'s natural response to damage from the sun.
Even using a sun bed to get a tan is not a ‘safe ‘alternative as just like the sun they emit harmful UV rays. Exposure to UV rays can damage the DNA in your skin cells which can lead to skin cancer. According to Cancer Research UK the types of UV rays from sun beds can be between 10-15 times higher than that of the midday sun1.
There are an estimated 100,000 cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the UK every year, and excessive sun exposure is responsible for the majority of cases2. The effect of the sun on skin depends on the type of radiation. UVA rays will penetrate the skin deeply and can lead to deep-set wrinkles and brown spot whereas UVB rays are considered to be the major cause of sunburn. Most skin cancers are caused by damage from UVA and UVB rays in sunlight.
Some consumers are still unaware of the dangers of sun exposure and the importance of using sun protection and many still don\'t use any form of protection, particularly when exposed to the sun in the UK. It is especially important to educate young people about the dangers of sun exposure, particularly as recent research by Cancer Research UK highlighted that more than a quarter (27%) of 16-24 year olds said that they thought that getting burnt was all part of getting a tan and almost one in five (19%) said that they were planning to get burnt on holiday3."
Source:
1. Cancer Research UK 2009 - cancerresearchuk.org
2. Cancer Research UK 2009 - cancerresearchuk.org
2. BRMB Omnibus, on behalf of Cancer Research UK (2007)
Sitting in the shade means I don\'t have to wear an SPF?
sun screen,skin care,sun care
woman laying on the beach
Graham Woods Simple Technical Suncare Expert: "You should always apply a sunscreen, even when sitting in the shade as surfaces, such as, sand, water, snow and concrete can still reflect the sun\'s rays onto your skin. Also remember that the sun\'s rays can even damage skin on cloudy days and during the winter too so it\'s always important to apply a sunscreen."
You can\'t burn indoors or when the sun\'s not shining.
sun screen,skin care,sun care
Woman laying in the sun
Daniela Chandler, director of skincare at Pevonia Botanica (
pevonia.co.uk) says. "Wear an SPF 30 every day, all seasons. Believe it or not, even on an overcast day, the harmful UVA and UVB rays are still around, they can even penetrate windows, so even if you are not leaving the house it is always advised to wear it. UVA rays are the ageing rays, UVB rays are the burning rays, it is important that when purchasing an SPF it is a broad spectrum one, which means that it will protect against UVA, UVB and infra-red rays. I always recommend applying it over the entire face and neck and the backs of the hands, as these areas are particularly susceptible to pigmentation marks."
See our top 10 suntan creams here for summer
