Prevention

Save the skin you're in

Sources:

Sun Safety for Infants & Children
Sun Safety for Outdoor Workers
Sun Safety for Employers
Suggested Safety Guidelines
Sunscreens: What is SPF?
Sunscreens: Physical Versus Chemical Filters
Sunscreens and Skin Cancer
The Sun and Your Eyes
Types of Light – And Their Effect
Protection For Your Eyes
Choosing Sunglasses
UV Rays and Your Skin
What Can I Do?

Avoiding skin damage from UV rays is the most important thing we can do. The damage that leads to adult skin cancers starts in childhood and teenage years, as people are likely to receive about 80% of their lifetime sun exposure during the first 18 years of life. “No Tan is a Safe Tan”.

Infant & Child Sun Safety

Keeping infants and young children out of the sun as much as possible is very important during the first year of a child’s life. Research shows that skin damage more than doubles from the age of 6 months to 18 months. An infant or toddler’s skin is very sensitive and is still in the process of developing, which makes them more susceptible to sun damage. A bad burn in a small infant can be very serious and have lifelong consequences. Regular use of sunscreen with an SPF of 15+ during the first 18 years of life can tremendously reduce the risk of skin cancer. However, before the age of three, sunscreen does not provide adequate protection for developing skin and the best protection is to keep sun exposure to a minimum. Unprotected baby skin can sunburn in 10 minutes or less. Therefore, covering up is an essential part of protecting your infant.

Childhood sunburns can increase your child’s risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Even a suntan is harmful to children. Tanning is an outward sign to internal skin damage. Research shows that much of the damage to skin is done in the first 18 years of life. Protecting skin and eyes during the first 18 years can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%. Melanoma is a cancer of younger people and can start as early as adolescence.

Outdoor Workers

Outdoor workers have a higher risk of skin cancer than in any other field of work. This is due to the fact that much of the work done is between 10-4 where the sun rays are at the strongest. In addition, much of the work done happens in the spring and summer months where UV radiation is higher as well. Therefore, it is important that outdoor workers take precautions to protecting their skin and being safe. Here are some helpful hints. Know the Intensity of UV Rays. UV Radiation is more intense under certain time frames or conditions. Such as:

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
When there is a lack of thick cloud cover • From mid-spring through mid-fall
At higher altitudes
Reflective surfaces, such as water and glass can direct additional UV rays toward people.

Employers

Crew supervisors should model sun protective behaviors
Utilize a skin cancer prevention “buddy system” to reinforce and support commitment to practice sun safety
Skin cancer prevention education materials should be taken home by employees to encourage their children
Employees should use a hand mirror to perform a self skin examination every one to three months

Suggested Guidelines for Outdoor Work or Recreation

1. For outdoor labor occurring on sunny days, especially between
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., staff is encouraged to:

Work in shaded areas where practical
Wear full-body coverage clothing, including: full-brimmed hats, long-sleeve shirts and full-length pants made of tightly woven fabric that is lightweight.
Wear full-spectrum sunglasses- that protect from UVA and UVB rays.
Apply SPF of 15+ at least 30 minutes before going outside.
Use lip balm that has a SPF of at least 15.

2. Sun Protection training and materials should be provided to staff encouraging them to practice sun safety while either on the job or engaging in any outdoor pastimes.

3. These guidelines should be communicated and reinforced to employees through verbal reminders, posters, signs, pamphlets, notice, payroll stuffers, newsletter, and meetings.

Sunscreens

What is SPF? Sun Protection Factor

SPF represents the length of time that sunscreen protected skin can be exposed to the sun before burning. This is a measure of the sunscreen’s protection against UVB radiation, but not UVA radiation which does not cause sunburns or tans.

Example: If you normally start to get sunburned on unprotected skin in 20 minutes in the sun, then an SPF 15 would provide you with 15 x 20 minutes of protection, or 300 minutes of protection from burning. This does not mean that damage to your skin, other than burning, is not occurring. UVA rays do not cause burning, but they are responsible for premature aging of the skin and suppression of the immune system. SPF does not refer to protection from UVA rays.

Physical Versus Chemical Filters

There are many different Sunscreens on the market, but the most effective ones contain BOTH UVA AND UVB protection, known as Broad Spectrum protection.

There are two different types of UV filters found in Sunscreens:

1. Chemical filters – work by absorbing, scattering and reflecting UV radiation. The chemical filters are absorbed in the skin and work from within. This is why they must be applied 15-20 minutes before going in the sun – to give the filters time to be absorbed into your skin so that they can do their job. You will find a wide array of UVB filters used among sunscreen manufacturers, but there are fewer UVA filters available

2. Physical filters – work by absorbing, scattering and reflecting UV radiation. The physical filters remain on the surface of the skin and are not absorbed. Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are the two physical filters found.

Sunscreens and Skin Cancer

Another debate involves the link between the use of Sun Screens and development of other types of Cancer. Again, these are never easy debates. While Sun Screens are proven effective to shield our skin from damaging ultra violet radiation, most sun screens on the open market contain chemical screens which are absorbed into our skin. These have in all likelihood been developed to make the sun screens more appealing to the public than the “physical” screens which are not absorbed into our skin. Physical screens include Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide and together they represent an all-inclusive UV screen. The problem with the physical screens is that they do tend to leave a white film on the skin because they are not absorbed.

It can be a great practice to find a good broad spectrum sunscreen that you like and use it daily after your shower to give you a head-start on your day.

The Sun and Your Eyes

Sunglasses help to protect your eyes from the Sun’s Ultraviolet Radiation and bright light. Because UV rays carry more energy and are invisible, the eye is at greater risk of damage from UV rays. UVA and UVB rays can cause or speed up several diseases of the eye or its supporting structures and because they occur over a long time, they may happen surreptitiously and are irreversible.

Types of Light – And Their Effect

Blue light – this is the bright light that is emitted from water and snow. Our eyes cannot focus clearly in intense blue light. Blue light is the only visible light and it is aborbed directly by the retina.

Ultra violet light – this is the invisible light emitted by UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays extend to our surfaces and are absorbed through the outer surfaces of the eyeball. UBA rays are longer and they extend into the eye’s lens.

Protection For Your Eyes

Wear a visor or broad-rimmed hat when in direct sunlight
Seek shade during peak sun hours from 11 am to 4 pm
Wear brown, green or gray sunglasses, not so dark as to reduce vision

Choosing Sunglasses

Regular Daily Exposure – Driving and Otherwise - Lenses should be dark enough to provide comfort, but not dark enough to reduce vision.

Water/Snow Exposure - it is important to block out blue light – medium to dark lenses with grey, green or brown tint will block out most blue light

Intensive Daylight Exposure – those who work outdoors in the bright sun all day will require a higher level of protection from their sunglasses

Daytime Driving – General purpose sunglasses are considered sufficient protection during daylight driving

The industry is self-regulated and has 3 categories of Sunglasses:

cosmetic sunglasses with lightly tinted lenses
general purpose sunglasses with higher protection levels of all light
special purpose sunglasses provide the highest protection, but are too dark for driving

We strongly recommend that you read the labels on various sunglasses and seek the advice of an expert.

UV Rays and Your Skin

We all love the Sun and we know it is good for us in many ways, but it is important to take a few precautions to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful rays throughout the year.

Spring & Summer – Protect yourself on the Slopes – white snow can increase the amount of UV radiation you receive by up to 85 percent. Sunscreen on your face and Sunglasses for your eyes will help to protect those exposed areas.

Summer – Protect yourself if on the water by wearing BROAD SPECTRUM sunscreen, which is sunscreen containing both UVA and UVB protection. An SPF15 is the minimum protection recommended and the sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before heading outdoors to give time for the Sun Screen to activate. Remember to apply every 2 hours, or after swimming or perspiring.

Environment Canada acknowledges that “we now know that it takes very little time for the UV rays to damage your DNA, increase your risk to skin cancers, weaken your immune system and damage your eyes”.

What Can I Do?

No cancer, including melanoma, can ever be prevented with 100% certainty. The good news is the risk factors for melanoma are well known, so steps can be taken to dramatically reduce your risk of developing this deadly disease.

Always have sunscreen with you so you can apply it whenever an unplanned outdoor activity arises
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 whenever you are outdoors (even on grayer days)
Wear protective clothing with long sleeves and wear hats and sunglasses
Check for changes in moles, new moles and see you doctor right away if you see anything suspicious
Limit sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm
Do not use tanning beds