By Dr Eddy Bajrovic*
Spring still has a month to go, but it’s felt more like summer in many parts of Australia in the past fortnight.
With temperatures 360C-plus setting new records for October, Aussies and international visitors alike have been flocking to beaches, lakes, rivers, and local pools to cool down and swap their winter pallor for a ‘healthy tan’.
Of course, as we all know (or should) there’s no such thing as a ‘healthy tan’. As soon as your skin turns pink or red, it’s been damaged and the more times it happens, the greater your risk of developing potentially fatal melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.
Yet, for too many of us sun safety is a hit and miss affair. The Australian Cancer Council says 66% of Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70.
It’s even easier to forget when we go on holiday, according to the 2013 US study1 into sun awareness (or lack of it) among travellers, which we featured in the Travelvax Report last year. Determined to wring every ounce of fun from their holiday, travellers the world over regard a tan as a holiday ‘souvenir’ that screams “I’ve had heaps of fun in the sun on my holiday” to (hopefully envious) family, friends, and work colleagues.
I’m not suggesting we avoid sunlight completely: In small ‘doses’, sunlight is good for you (a few minutes of summer sun exposure is enough to get a health-giving dose of Vitamin D).
So, what’s the answer? As the temperature rises we thought it timely to offer some tips to avoid harmful (and painful) damage to the human body’s largest organ – our skin.
TIP 1: Limit full-sun exposure – get the App
Around 50% of Earth’s total daily dose of solar UV reaches us between noon and 3pm. If possible, stay indoors or in the shade during this period. (And, don’t forget to adjust for daylight saving time, when 1pm is the new noon, the hottest point of the day.) As for the rest of the time, the best advice for avoiding sunburn again comes from the Cancer Council which advocates that we ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide’. And, don’t be fooled by cooler breezy conditions … the sun will still burn and damage your skin even if doesn’t feel hot outside.
TIP 2: Download the App
To help quantify the risk of sun damage, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology issues an Alert if the UV index is expected to reach Level 3 or above, the point at which excessive sun can damage skin and potentially lead to skin cancer. The Cancer Council also has an UV Alert app for smartphones.
TIP 3: Know your destination’s UV risk
While most sunburn happens at the beach, vacations that involve mountain climbing, snow skiing, and high-altitude trekking also have the potential for sunburn because of increased levels of UV radiation exposures at high altitudes. UV radiation intensity increases by 4% for every 300 metres of elevation above sea level and snow can reflect up to 90% of UV light – much more than sand (15%–30%) and seawater. In outdoor pools, levels of reflective UV radiation can be high and UV rays can penetrate water to a depth of 30cm.
TIP 4: Dress for the sun with UV-protective clothing
Photo-protective clothing is rated by its UV protection factors (UPF). When buying sun-shielding ‘rashie’ shirts, board shorts, and hats for the beach, look for light UPF fabrics that have been impregnated with UVA- and UVB-absorbing inorganic particles, such as titanium dioxide. These enhance UPF but have the same cool, light-weight feel of cotton. (Cotton offers limited UV protection – its UPF is as low as 5-9 – while heavier fabrics, such as denim, have UPFs of up to 1700. Darker coloured materials usually have a higher UPF.)
TIP 5: Sunglasses aren’t just eye candy
Every year, some 300 Australians are diagnosed with eye cancer and conjunctival cancer, according to the Cancer Council. Sunglasses protect our eyes and eyelids from the sun and prevent periorbital skin cancers, cataracts, pterygia, photokeratitis, snow blindness, and possibly retinal melanomas, as well as the age-related macular degeneration. Before you buy sunglasses, check that they have an Australian UV protection rating of at least Category 2 (a medium level of sun glare reduction and good UV protection) or higher. Good sunglasses are important for kids, too as they protect against the most common eye conditions that develop later in life. Read more about sunglasses rating and lens colour attributes.
TIP 6: Always use broad-spectrum sunscreen
Sunscreens prevent sunburn from UVB radiation, but are less effective against UVA, which is why it is only part of your defence against sunburn. There are two basic types of sunscreen: Chemical sunscreens penetrate the skin and absorb the sun’s rays, preventing burning but allowing tanning (which is really just sun damage and should be avoided); and Physical sunscreens, which coat the skin and block out more than 99% of the sun’s harmful rays, preventing both tanning and burning. Look for brands that are hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic (that means it won’t cause rashes, or clog pores, causing acne). Note, sunscreens (of any type) should not be used on infants younger than six months. Read more about sunscreens.
TIP 7: Know your skin type
Having more epidermal melanin (skin pigment) in their skin means dark-skinned people filter twice as much UVB radiation as pale-skinned people (Caucasians).
SPF +50 is the recommended sunscreen for white- or fair-skinned people who burn frequently and rarely (or never) tan.
SPF +15 is right for people with intermediate, olive, brown or black skin who tan easily and rarely (if ever) get sunburned.
TIP 8: Don’t be mean with sunscreen
Sunscreen should be applied at a rate of 2mg per square centimetre of sun-exposed skin. (Note, there’s 15mg in a tablespoon measure.) Properly applied, a sunscreen with an SPF of +15 will protect the wearer from 93% of UVB radiation; while SPF +30 protects against 97% of UVB; and SPF +50 offers protection against 98% of UVB.
TIP 9: Wet, sweat… reapply
Sunscreen needs to be reapplied earlier than the time nominated on the label if you’re swimming or sweating. Sunscreen labelled as ‘sweat resistant’, ‘water resistant’, or ‘waterproof’ should be reapplied as follows:
Sweat resistant – 30 minutes after heavy sweating.
Water resistant – 40 minutes after swimming.
Waterproof – 80 minutes after swimming.
TIP 10: Use separate sunscreen and repellent
For travellers, insect repellent can be just as important as sunscreen – particularly in the tropics. However, experts advise against using products that combine repellent and sunscreen because repellents protect for longer than sunscreens and working out when more is needed becomes confusing and could lead to overuse. It’s best to apply repellent and sunscreen separately – sunscreens first, then repellent – reapplying each as directed on the label.
Insect repellents containing DEET are not suitable for infants under 2 months of age. DEET concentrations ranging from 10% to 30% are recommended for all other children, with higher formulation (up to 50%) suitable for adults.
* Dr Bajrovic is the Medical Director of Travelvax Australia.
1 - Diaz, J. H. and Nesbitt, L. T. (2013), Sun Exposure Behavior and Protection: Recommendations for Travelers. Journal of Travel Medicine, 20: 108–118. doi: 10.1111/j.1708-8305.2012.00667.x
Ensure a healthy holiday by calling Travelvax Australia’s no-obligation travel health advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines). As well as getting lots of great advice, you can also make an appointment for a pre-travel medical consultation at a Travelvax clinic. Our travel medicine professionals provide advice tailored to your itinerary and personal medical history, along with any vaccines, medications, and accessories suggested for your trip.