How to stay SunSmart this Spring
It is not yet Summer, but with temperatures getting warmer and many enjoying outdoor activities, most forget that they can still burn. With this in mind Review spoke to Christopher Combrink, community mobiliser of Cansa Polokwane on tips about being sunsmart.
POLOKWANE – Here are a few guidelines to follow when outdoors:
Guidelines:
• Limit your time in the sun. “Between 10:00 and 15:00 the sun’s rays are at their most harmful.”
• Cover up. “Strange as it might sound, cover yourself up when in the sun. Wear a thickly woven hat with a wide brim and/or flap. Clothing that is densely woven are also recommended. There are clothing available that is UV protective as well as swimwear, umbrellas and shade netting.”
• Stay in the shade as much as possible or under an umbrella. “UV rays reflect off cement, water, sand and even grass, so you can still get sunburn in the shade. Since UV rays are not the same as heat, you can get overexposed even when it is cool. So please take care even on windy and cloudy days.”
“Sunsmart is cancer smart” – Cancer Association of South Africa
• Protect your eyes. “Look out for sunglasses with lenses recognised for effective UV protection by Cansa.”
• Sunscreen. “Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen like UVA or UVB with a sun protector factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, preferable one bearing the Cansa seal of recognition.”
Christopher explains that readers should apply sunscreen to literally all exposed skin. “Remember the back of your neck, tips of your ears, lips arms and hands. Re-apply the sunscreen frequently, especially after swimming. Towel-drying also removes sunscreen.
Is tanning under a sunbed safer than tanning in the sun?
According to Christopher this is not true. “Sunbeds and tanning booths deliver concentrated UVA radiation, in some cases more UV than the sun. This cause the skin to age more rapidly, as well as putting you at a higher risk of developing skin cancer.”
How do I know which sunscreen to use?
“If you usually start to burn within five minutes, a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 protects your skin for 15 times as long, that is 75 minutes. There is no such thing as a complete block,” concluded Christopher.
