As a society our understanding of the importance of health has improved exponentially from previous generations, but there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Too often current discussions of health are limited to what foods you eat and how often you exercise. Yes, a nutritious diet and regular exercise regimen are essential aspects of a healthy lifestyle, but there’s more to it than that. If you watch what you eat and stay active but expose your unprotected skin to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, then you are jeopardizing your physical wellbeing just as much as eating French fries everyday.
UV Rays
We tend to associate radiation with X-rays and nuclear power plants, but did you know that you are exposed to radiation everyday from the sun? According to the United States Environmental Protection agency, the sun produces electromagnetic radiation in three forms: “visible light that you see, infrared radiation that you feel as heat, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation that you can’t see or feel.”1 Of these three forms of UV radiation, ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays can harm your skin.
UVB radiation is the source of countless ruined vacations every summer. It inflicts damage to the epidermis, the outer layer of skin. This damage usually takes the form of a sunburn, which causes your skin to redden, burn and peel, and turns your weekend at the beach into 2 days of recovery in bed. In the United States you are most vulnerable to UVB radiation from 10 am to 4 pm from April to October.
Most research has focused on UVB radiation, but within the past 15 years there has been a renewed effort to test the impact of UVA radiation.2 UVA penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB rays, damaging the dermis, a thick layer of skin underneath the epidermis. UVB radiation varies in strength depending up on the season, but the strength of UVA radiation remains constant throughout the year. As a result, we are exposed to more UVA rays than UVB rays.
Too much contact with UVA makes your skin produce melanin, a skin pigment that causes you to look tanned. Americans spend countless hours and money trying to get that perfect golden-brown tan which is so prevalent among models and movie stars. But what many people don’t know is that in the long run sun tans will actually ruin your skin.
Although bronze skin is highly coveted in our society, it is actually a sign of skin damage, which can lead to premature aging. UVA rays cause 90 percent of premature wrinkles, dry skin, and age spots.3 The scientific term for this is photoaging. This phenomenon does not happen overnight from a single sunburn. It occurs slowly over time as the skin is continually exposed to UVA rays.4
UV Rays and Skin Cancer
Mild sunburns and premature wrinkles are not the only harmful effects of UV rays. Studies have shown that both UVA and UVB radiation causes skin cancer. Here is some data that you need to know:
- Ninety percent of non-melanoma skin cancer is caused by UV radiation.5
- UV rays are the cause behind 65 percent of melanoma diagnoses, the deadliest form of skin cancer6
- You are twice as likely to get melanoma if you’ve had at least 5 sunburns in your life.7
Despite the fact that skin cancer is preventable, we’ve seen a rise in the number of skin cancer occurrences. Research has shown that melanoma cases have risen around the world during the past 40 years. In 2000 it was estimated that 47,700 people had melanoma in the United States; that figure increased to 68,720 by 2009.8
Sunscreen
Why has there been a recent increase in melanoma and other forms of skin cancer? It’s because people are not protecting themselves from the sun. If anything, they are putting themselves in harm’s way by tanning. There are countless things about your health that you cannot control, but limiting your exposure to UV rays is something you can control.
The best way to guard against UV overexposure is to make skin protection a part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. Sunscreen is the first line of defense. Sunscreen is essential to maintain healthy skin because it blocks UV radiation from penetrating your skin. The Nambour Skin Cancer Study demonstrated that those who consistently used sunscreen were 38 percent less likely to get squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, than those who only occasionally used sun screen.9 A 2011 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has also confirmed that sunscreen usage reduces the risk of melanoma.10
But not all sunscreens are created equal. You need to stick with a product that is at least SPF 30 strength, and make sure to use broad spectrum sunscreen, which will help protect you from UVA and UVB radiation. But sunscreen is not meant to carry the burden by itself. You need to include a variety of skin-protecting strategies:
- Seek shade when outdoors
- Wear a hat that covers your face and neck
- Wear enough clothing to cover your skin
The dangers of UV rays should not keep you from going outside. On the contrary, knowing the facts about skin cancer and how to avoid it allows you to continue living an active life, while taking precautions to keep your skin healthy. That is what holistic health is all about.
References
1 UV radiation. (2010, July 1). Retrieved from United States Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/uvradiation.html
2 Bryant, R. (2002). Studies further condemn UVA reputation. Dermatology Times, 45.
3 Health effects of overexposure to the sun. (2010, July 1). Retrieved from United States Environmental Protection Agency: hwww.epa.gov/sunwise/uvandhealth.html
4 The Risks of Tanning. (2011, June 28). Retrieved from United States Food and Drug Administration: www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/Tanning/default.htm
5 Pleasance, E., Cheetham, P., & Stephens, P. (2009). A comprehensive catalogue of somatic mutations from a human cancer genom. Nature, 191-196.
6 Armstrong, B., & Kricker, A. (1993). How much melanoma is caused by sun exposure? Melanoma Research, 395-401
7 Pfahlber, A., Kolmel, K., & Gefeller, O. (2001). Timing of excessive ultraviolet radiation and melanoma: epidemiology does not support the existence of a critical period of high susceptibility to solar ultraviolet radiation-induced melanoma. British Journal of Dermatology, 471.
7 Pfahlber, A., Kolmel, K., & Gefeller, O. (2001). Timing of excessive ultraviolet radiation and melanoma: epidemiology does not support the existence of a critical period of high susceptibility to solar ultraviolet radiation-induced melanoma. British Journal of Dermatology, 471.
8 Melanoma trends. (2011). Retrieved from American Academy of Dermatology: www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/conditions/melanoma-trends
9 Green, A., Battistutta, D., Hart, V., Leslie, D., Marks, G., & Williams, G. (1994). The Nambour Skin Cancer and Actinic Eye Disease Prevention Trial: design and baseline characteristics of participants. Controlled Clinical Trials, 512-22.
10 Robinson, J. K., & Michael, B. (2011). Prevention of Melanoma With Regular Sunscreen Use. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 343-450.
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