For close to two decades, the public has been warned about the dangers of overexposure to sun. In an era when the environmental causes of cancer have become more well known, not nearly enough of us have heeded the call to prevent skin cancer.

FACT:Cancer of the skin (including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer) is the most common of all cancers, accounting for nearly half of all cancers. About one million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in this country each year. The American Cancer Society predicts that there will be about 1,900 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer during 1999. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 44,200 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the United States during 1999. About 7,300 people in the US are expected to die of melanomas during 1999.

No doubt the easiest way to decrease the risk of contracting skin cancer is to avoid the sun. No doubt that suggestion goes in one outdoor enthusiast's ear and out the other. In lieu of being an indoor hermit, there are other routes to take. The basic rules of thumb are to avoid direct expose to sunlight at peak times (anywhere from 10:00am to 4:00pm) and to wear loose fitting, protective clothing.

When even these suggestions are not feasible, the last line of defense is commercial sun protection. In the last fifteen or so years, the sun protection industry has blossomed into a multi-million dollar enterprise. You can go to the store and literally be overwhelmed with the various types and styles of sun protection products available. What product should you purchase? Here's a guide for making a good decision.

Choosing the proper sunscreen requires knowledge of two basic pieces of information: types of UV light protection and degrees of sun protection.

A trip down memory lane, back to those science classes where few of us paid attention, reminds us that ultraviolet light is but one type of light on the Electromagnetic Spectrum. UV light, of which there are three types, A, B, and C, resides at the lower end of the spectrum, between x-rays (smaller wave lengths) and visible light (larger wave lengths). Of the three types of UV light, A has the largest wave length and C the smallest. A general rule of thumb is that the smaller the UV ray the more dangerous it is to humans. Fortunately, UVC rays are too weak to penetrate the earth's atmosphere and are not problematic. That leaves UVA and UVB rays as the focus of attention.

Traditionally, sunscreen formulas only contained materials that blocked UVB light because of its propensity to promote sun burning. UVA rays were considered benign, they were the tanning rays. Recent research on UVA rays has changed that opinion. First, UVA rays are the most abundant of the UV rays to reach the earth. Second, research has also shown that UVA rays tend to penetrate deeper into the skin and can cause damage such as wrinkling and skin cancer. In light of this new research, it is imperative that your sunscreen have "UVA-UVB Protection" on the label.

SPF stands for sun protection factor, and without getting into the nitty gritty of the chemical issues involved, a good rule of thumb about the SPF number is that it represents the amount of time one can stay in the sun without being negatively affected compared to the time one could spend in the sun without any protection. While the numbers can range anywhere from 2-50 (probably higher as the industry progresses), most professionals recommend at least an SPF 15 for every day use and for darker skinned individuals. SPF 30 sunscreens (and higher) are recommended for more fair skinned individuals and for all individuals participating in high energy sun activities.

Two types of sunscreens are available for the consumer, chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreens, as the name implies, contain various chemicals and work by absorbing UV rays. Like any other chemical, their use involves potential side effects and special considerations. For example, some individuals may develop allergic reactions such as rashes. Additionally, if you're taking prescription medications, you would need to consult a physician to see if it is compatible with chemical sunscreens.

© 1999. Patricia A. Michaels. All Rights Reserved