Are Tans Healthy?

Ahh, summer. Glorious summer.

 Days at the beach, swimming, surfing, soaking up those rays…

 Sunlight is great for us. Not only does it enhance mood, but Vitamin D is critical for many of the processes occurring in the body, particularly for ensuring strong and healthy bones.

 But too much sun exposure - particularly where we are in Aus - carries the well known risks of permanent skin damage, causing abnormal cell growth and potentially fatal tumors. Over 90% of skin cancer is caused by overexposure to UV radiation from the sun. Gone are the days of oiling up the skin and baking until golden!

We have not been able to find any evidence that any level of tan is healthy
Any amount of burn is damage to the skin!

 So, while you may shrug off your sunburn as just a normal part of summer, it’s time to think again.

Skin cancer is the third most common cancer in Australia. Together, NZ and Australia have the highest rates of melanoma in the world! It’s a common workplace hazard which can easily be forgotten!

Know if you are at additional risk! Do you have…

- Fair skin that burns easily?

- Past experiences with severe sunburn, particularly in your youth?

- A family history of melanoma, or previous cancerous growths removed from your skin?

- A high number of moles, particularly if large, increasing in size, unevenly coloured or irregularly shaped?

- Prescribed medications which increase your sensitivity to the suns UV rays?

Reduce your risk

To gain the natural health benefits of Vitamin D, the skin needs direct exposure to sunlight. Get your recommended 10 - 20 minutes of sun exposure in before 10am, before the heat of the day has really kicked in.

After that, it’s the usual ‘slip, slop, slap and wrap’:

- ‘Slip’ on a shirt that covers as much skin as possible

- ‘Slop’ on some SPF30 (or higher) sunblock, and reapply every 2 hours

- ‘Slap’ on a hat

- ‘Slide’ on some sunnies

- ‘Seek’ shade

This is particularly important in the middle of the day (between 10am - 4pm) when the sun exposure is at it’s highest. It’s easy to find apps and websites that show us when the UV is at it’s peak.

Remember!

Clouds do not protect! UV pierces straight through them!

Nor is temperature directly correlated with UV!

As soon as you burn, the skin damage has started! – Prevention is key here.

It is also recommended to use a daily facial moisturiser with SPF within it to protect the skin from everyday UV exposure.

And if you have a lot of moles, or new, unusual changes to patches of your skin… Get them checked by an expert!

Author

Yolanda van Vugt, Exercise Physiologist 

References 

https://www.cancer.org.au/assets/pdf/understanding-skin-cancer-booklet

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/hazards/hazardous-exposures/sun-safety