Sun safe: Manitobans need to slather on the sunscreen, skin-cancer survivor says
There's no such thing as a 'healthy' tan and a 'base' won't protect you, says Jo Davies
If you are lucky enough to call yourself a Manitoban, you know a few things about weather-related extremes. You're familiar with frostbitten fingers, the icy shock of snow down your back and how long the wait feels for a bus in –35 C (eternity is likely shorter).
You know about blazing hot days on the beach, roasting in your vehicle on Friday afternoon traffic and sweating through family dinners because Dad said it "wasn't hot enough" to turn on the AC. You also know that, hot or cold, Manitoba is one of the sunniest places in the country.
As we begin another impossibly gorgeous Manitoba summer, I'm anxiously preparing myself for yet another season of fighting El Sol.
As a natural redhead and skin-cancer survivor, the sad truth is that my pale hide is prime territory for sunburns. In fact, I've gotten quite a few of them, especially before SPF 1,000,000 was part of my summertime skin-care arsenal.
Thanks in part to those childhood sunburns, I was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago. I now have a three-inch scar running down the middle of my back, where the dermatologist cut out the irregularly shaped mole that turned out to be cancerous.
For the record, I like to tell anyone who notices that I got it in a knife fight at a bar. Sounds way more glamourous than "basal cell carcinoma."
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer on the planet. According to the World Health Organization, one in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer. The increase in global skin cancer rates over the past several decades has been linked to depleted ozone levels, which allow more solar ultraviolet, or UV, radiation to reach the earth.
No such thing as a 'healthy' tan, experts say
Winnipeg is among the sunniest spots in all of Canada, with an average of 316 days of sunshine a year. This is great if you're into gardening or suffering from depression due to seasonal affective disorder.
Not so much if you are (for instance) a green-eyed redhead with freckles and skin paler than a fish's belly. In that case, you scuttle from patch of shade to patch of shade like a vampire, wear a hat and sunglasses as much as possible and slather on the Coppertone like you own shares in the company. Or so I hear.
This is a change from when I was growing up. Skin cancer was never mentioned. Everyone was chasing a tan, with sunburns simply an inconvenience on the way to a perfect golden brown. Sunscreen was referred to as "suntan lotion," and the highest protection I remember being available was SPF 8. A tan was thought to be a sign of a healthy person who spent plenty of time outdoors.
Unfortunately for those of us of the Caucasian persuasion, there is no such thing as a healthy tan. In fact, people with fair skin are far more susceptible to skin cancer. Other risk factors, according to the WHO, include: blue, green or hazel eyes; red or blonde hair; tendency to burn rather than tan; history of severe sunburns; many moles; freckles; and/or a family history of skin cancer.
One popular sun-related myth is that getting a "base tan" before jetting off for a winter vacation to the tropics is a good way to get prepared for being in the sun. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is outmoded and downright dangerous. Research has shown a "base" tan provides a sun protection factor of 3, nowhere near the minimum suggested SPF 15.
Tips for skin cancer prevention
The simple fact is that any change you see in your skin colour is an indication that your skin is already damaged. Once your skin is exposed to UV radiation, it increases the production of melanin in an attempt to protect the skin from further harm, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Even if you don't burn, the UV radiation penetrates into the dermis, changing the DNA of your skin cells. And if "changing your DNA" sounds like something on Star Trek, don't worry. You're only risking skin cancer, not turning into an alien. Oh … right.
To give yourself the best chance of avoiding skin cancer (and not having skin like Corinthian leather), it's important to stay out of the sun between the peak sunlight hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Check the UV index on the daily and dress accordingly (long sleeves, hat).
Use sunscreen liberally (SPF 30 or better) and reapply it often, especially if you're swimming or sweating heavily. Stay in the shade when you can, remembering that the more porous your source of shade (trees, for instance), the less protection it offers. Wear sunglasses as much as possible, to reduce your risk for cataracts.
Finally, avoid tanning beds, as they emit approximately 12 times as many UVA rays as the sun itself.
As for me, I'm determined not to have any more odd scars to have to blame on bar brawls. My sun-smart routine now includes regular visits to my dermatologist, using sunscreen daily and avoiding the mid-day sun. I might be the palest person on the beach (besides the newborns and the 90-year-olds), but I'm fine with that.
Especially if it means I'll be around to take my grandkids there.
This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.
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