The skin is our biggest organ, transmitting sensations from our surroundings, regulating our body temperature and protecting us from the elements, with the sun being one of the most dangerous.
UVA rays can damage the elastin in the skin and cause wrinkles, liver spots and skin cancer, while UVB rays cause sunburn and are even more strongly linked to skin cancer.
According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa), South Africa now has the second-highest incidence of skin cancer after Australia. “At least 20 000 people are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancers annually – mainly basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which can be disfiguring if left untreated. About 1 500 people are diagnosed with malignant melanoma, which can be deadly, ” said Cansa health specialist, Professor Michael Herbst.
Cansa has provided the following tips that can help you protect your skin from the sun:
- Avoid the sun: Stay out of the sun between 10am and 3pm. If you must venture out, wear long sleeves and pants of closely woven fabric, a hat or cap with a generous brim (at least 10cm) and sunglasses that block out 95 to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB rays. According to research this year at King’s College London, men are more likely to develop melanoma on the head, neck and trunk, and women on the legs.
- Apply sunscreen: Apply sunscreen every morning to your face and all other exposed parts of your body. Be generous, use about two tablespoons and don’t forget the top of your ears and feet. Sunscreen is not as effective if not applied properly. Be sure to choose a brand that gives protection against UVA and UVB rays (look for the Cansa seal of recognition logo) and make sure that it has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 to 50 – the higher the number, the greater the protection.
- Get a check-up: Book a baseline skin check with a dermatologist or at a Cansa Care Centre with a FotoFinder dermoscope machine and ask about mole-mapping. This is especially important if you have more than 50 moles, have a previous personal or family history of melanoma, or have ever been severely sunburnt. Go for a check-up every two or three years if you’re dark-skinned or annually if you are fair-skinned.
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