Why there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to applying sun cream
By Sabrina Lee
BBC Wales meteorologist
There is no such thing as a healthy tan, according to a dermatologist who treats hundreds of cases of skin cancer every year.
One in four men and one in five women in the UK will be diagnosed with skin cancer during their lifetime.
In Wales, it makes up 47% of all cancers – the highest rate of all UK nations.
The damage is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, or UV, produced by the sun.
Dr Rachel Abbott, consultant dermatologist at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, said: “There is such thing as a healthy fake tan. But unfortunately, to induce tanning in the skin, you have to induce damage to the DNA in your skin cells.
“So there’s no way of getting a healthy tan from the sun or from a sunbed.”
Too much UV exposure can lead to tanning, sunburn, premature ageing and eye damage. It is also the main cause of skin cancer.
We cannot see or feel UV and it does not have to be hot for UV levels to be high – we can still burn when it is cloudy.
BBC meteorologist Sabrina Lee shares her top tips on how to protect yourself from UVA and UVB rays
Dr Abbott said medical professionals were particularly concerned about UVB and UVA, two parts of the UV spectrum.
“We know that they can cause damage to the cells in our skin which can accumulate over time. And as our immune systems become less effective as we get older then the risk of skin cancer increases,” she said.
While some sun exposure is needed to get vitamin D, which helps maintain strong bones, it does not mean people need to stay out in it for hours.
“In the UK between April and September, it takes about 15 minutes to 30 minutes for us to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D,” said Dr Abbott.
We can also still get the benefits of vitamin D when wearing a high-factor sun cream, with Dr Abbott adding two tablespoons (30ml) is the recommended amount to cover your body.
“If you don’t have a tablespoon with you, you can just put sunscreen on your two fingers and then apply. That should be enough for your whole body. For the head and neck, it should be a teaspoon,” she said.
Dr Abbott added factor-30 protection blocks about 97% of UVB rays if applied appropriately, whereas factor 50 blocks about 98%.
“So it’s actually very little difference. The key thing is to make sure that you put enough on.”
Rhian Moore was diagnosed with skin cancer, which returned two years after being removed
Rhian Moore was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago, after finding a suspicious looking mole on her back, despite never being a fan of sunbathing or sunbeds.
The cancer was “cut out” in surgery but, two years later, she was told it had come back.
“I found a lump under my right arm. They did a biopsy. They did a CT scan. Then I had a phone call to say it’s cancer. It’s the same one. It’s spread. We need to cut it out,” she said.
Ms Moore, who works for Great Western Railway, was taken to Morriston hospital in Swansea for surgery, and then received immunotherapy every six weeks for a year.
She has now been given the all-clear and is back to doing the things she loves, such as outdoor activities, being chief commissioner for Scouts in Wales and raising awareness for Cancer Research Wales.
Image source, Matthew Horwood
Rhian is much more cautious about skin protection as she returns to outdoor activities
“The moisturiser on my face every day, even in the winter, has SPF in it. If I’m going out shopping or on the beach it’s about making sure I have all-day sun cream on,” she said.
“I love playing in the sea. I like paddle boarding and kayaking. So it’s not about going out in my bathers, it’s about going out in shorts and T shirt and making sure I’m wearing a hat.
“I’m lucky I’m a survivor. There are people who aren’t as lucky as me. It’s about raising awareness and do what we can to prevent cancer before it gets us.”
Sunproofed, a research project run by Dr Julie Peconi and a team of scientists at Swansea University, aims to help schools educate children about the dangers of the sun and how to enjoy it safely.
It also looks at how schools are providing protection for children while they are at school.
An exhibition at Oriel Science in Swansea offers visitors a chance to have their photo taken with a UV camera, to show them the difference sun cream makes to their skin.
Reporter Sabrina Lee’s UV camera pictures. L: Daylight mode; R: UV mode – SPF applied earlier that day has rubbed off in the lighter patches, highlighting need for reapplication
The camera takes three pictures. The first is daylight mode – what you would see if you looked in the mirror.
The second is UV mode – how your skin looks under ultraviolet light. If you are wearing any sun cream or makeup with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) in it, this will look darker on the photo.
Before taking the third picture, sun cream is applied. The lighter sections on the face reveal where sun cream might have been missed or not applied well enough.
Dr Peconi said: “I think that more needs to be done in terms of teaching children from a young age. The thinking behind this exhibit is that if we can show kids why they’re putting on sun cream. They are much more likely to engage with safer sun behaviours.”
Dr Peconi from Swansea University says more needs to be done to teach children about sun safety
Dr Peconi added sun safety was a mandatory part of the school curriculum in England, but it is up to individual schools.
The Welsh government said: “The new curriculum for Wales framework ensures that sun safety can be included in learning about health and wellbeing.”
Dr Abbott added: “We’re trying to get the key message out to people to look after their skin throughout their lifetime, because sun damage is cumulative.
“We want people to go outside and enjoy the sun.”
