Avoiding sun damages

More than one million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Many more are diagnosed with pre-cancerous conditions. These numbers continue to increase, not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Despite the alarming increase in skin cancers, especially in the teen and young adult population, some people still believe that a tan is healthy. They're wrong. Although sunlight is a primary source for vitamin D which helps keep our bones strong, there're several factors which are responsible for the alarming rise in skin cancers. Today, the continual erosion of the Earth's ozone layer due to pollution has led to a decrease in the amount of ozone protection than was afforded previous generations. Moreover, there're over 400 medications prescribed that leave patients with an increased sensitivity to sun exposures and a heightened susceptibility to sun damages.

When sun damage comes to the appearance of the skin, wrinkling and thinning of the skin are often thought of as a natural aging process. However, these effects are primarily the result of long-term exposure to sunlight. Cumulative exposure to the sun damages the epidermis (the outer layer) and the dermis (the deeper layer), causing elastin fibers to thicken and become more numerous. Damage to the collagen causes it to undergo degradation, too.

Therefore, using sun protections is the best solution to minimize, avoid, and even repair skin damages. Sunscreen (also known as sunblock, suntan lotion) is a lotion, spray or other topical product that helps protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and which reduces sunburn and other skin damage, ultimately leading to a lower risk of skin cancer. The best sunscreens protect against both UVB (ultraviolet radiation with wavelength between 290 and 320 nanometres), which can cause sunburn, and UVA (between 320 and 400 nanometres), which damages the skin with more long-term effects, such as premature skin aging. Most sunscreens work by containing either an organic chemical compound that absorbs ultraviolet light (such as oxybenzone) or an opaque material that reflects light (such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide), or a combination of both. Typically, absorptive materials are referred to as chemical blocks, whereas opaque materials are mineral or physical blocks.

I'm now working at Skin Sciences and selling Doctor's Program Sunblock SPF 30. Most of my clients are confused about the benefits of SPF. What does the number 30 in SPF 30 mean? Is SPF 30 is better than SPF 15? I know some of them are looking for SPF 100 or even stronger. Is the higher the SPF, the more benefit we will receive?

Sunscreens are rated by the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) system. The SPF rating is primarily the amount of UVB protection the sunscreen provides. The rating (SPF15, SPF20, SPF 30, etc.) indicates how much longer a person can be in the sun before burning than when not wearing sunscreen. For example: suppose you can stay in the sun for 10 minutes before starting to burn if you are NOT wearing sunscreen. When using sunscreen you can stay in the Sun your initial 10 minutes multiplied by the SPF rating. So if you use a sunscreen rated SPF15, you should be able to stay in the Sun for 150 minutes (10 x 15) or 2.5 hours before starting to burn. Reapplying sunscreen reinforces the protection although it does not extend the time you can remain in the sun.

In theory, the higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against UV-B (the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn). However, in practice, the protection from a particular sunscreen depends on factors such as:

* The skin type of the user.
* The amount applied and frequency of re-application.
* Activities in which one engages (for example, swimming leads to a loss of sunscreen from the skin).
* Amount of sunscreen the skin has absorbed.

Generally, according to many testing results, an SPF over 30 does not provide significantly better protection. Therefore, besides using sunscreen, we should use sun-protective clothing, sunglasses, and sun avoidance between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to avoid skin damages.