Whats your spf number? do you choose your lotion by its number? perhaps its star rating ?
For years i've followed interest in all the hype each summer we get bombarded with. By which creams and sun care advice. One year the breakfast show had a great informative sessions everyday. Education is there for us but i still haven't found the message gets through well enough. Perhaps schools need to introduce this learning?
My blog is more about why when we are presented with the information we still do not listen or process it correctly? So now you can return to my blog for your refresher info as and when you need to. Share away and lets get sun smart!
The higher the spf does not mean the less i will develop a tan!
Myself, partner and kids all wore Spf 50 on our Mexico holiday and we all still came home with a lovely tan, all different to our bodies needs and not 1 burn.
Having now 5 people i know with cancer and sadly 1 terminal it is not something we need to just leave to chance!
Small removable cancer patches (Carcinomas) can be removed easily if caught early, but this should not become blah-say , it is an early warning sign, now protect it, keep it covered, use fake tan!
Please stay safe and have skin health throughout your life. Skin cancer can hit at any age, at any level, it is shocking to see the more mature client tell me that its past their time to not worry about being in the sun. This is the time the skin is becoming thinner and it's renewal rate is slower. The pigment producing cells called melanocytes are not producing pigment evenly, so less natural protection is available. A more intense time to suffer a carcinoma, not less.
The skin has a memory of past burns and patches/bumps/pigmentation's show more into older life. "Nan's" tan may still be visible at Christmas time, but that doesn't indicated the need to not protect it. Go with your instincts and if you have non healing patches of skin and get moles or skin changes get it checked over. And in one close case to me, get it double checked, as it can still get missed first time. Not one of the people I have met had their cancers start in a mole.
I will leave you with a few simple facts, hopefully presented facts will make you research this further and think about yourself not just the children!:
*The number of U.k cases diagnosed have quadroupled since 1970's.
* Skin Melanomas are the fastest growing cancer of ALL cancers.
* 100000 cases are diagnosed each year
* 2500 people die in the U.K each year, thats 7 people a day!
* All skin colours have the same amount of risk.
* FDA, the food and drug association do not allow over 2 hours statements.
* Spritz Spfs look to be banned soon
* Once a day crams will be banned.
* The spf number and star ratings need to be considered but cannot be prescribed.
* Star ratings are uvb related.
*The spf number protects you from uvb unless stated.
* Layering more ontop will not lengthen or strengthen the protection. If your skin has gone red. Cover it up and seek shade.
*UVA causes oxidising damage, look for UVA and antioxidants in your sunscreens. Uva is only in about a third of suncreams produced.
Look for the term " broad spectrum" or a circle with UVA written in it.
* Uva and b can contribute to skin cancer. And accumatively not just through burns.
* Uva is present all year round at the same strength and cannot be felt.
SPF 15 = 94% protection
Spf 30 = 96 % protection
Spf 50= 98 % protection
NOTE NOT DOUBLE THE PROTECTION.
Keep in mind though the English sun is still sun. Yes countries close to the equator and parts of Australia with less ozone layer to protect us are hotter and more intense. But Sun is Sun the English skin cancer rate is increasing annually.
THE UK HAS MORE DIAGNOSED CANCERS AND DEATHS THAN AUSTRALIA!
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