Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Specialists

The Sun & UV Radiation

Sunlight contains ultraviolet radiation (270nm – 400nm), which is classified into three types based upon the particular wavelength.
UV-C (270nm - 290nm) rays are blocked by the ozone layer.
UV-B rays (290nm - 320nm; “Burning” rays) cause burning, tanning, and DNA mutations which lead to skin cancer.
UV-A rays (320nm – 400nm; “Aging” rays) are subdivided into short-wave UV-AII (320nm – 340nm) and long-wave UV-AI (340nm – 400nm). UV-A rays penetrate deeper into the dermis, producing free radicals that contribute to photoaging [wrinkles, dyspigmentation, freckles, and loss of skin elasticity] and skin cancer. UV-A radiation is almost 20-times more abundant compared with UVB radiation. Therefore, 100 times more UV-A photons reach the dermis than UV-B photons. Long UVA rays produce free radicals that contribute to photoaging and skin cancer, including melanoma (reference).
The ultraviolet radiation produced by the sun can be as detrimental on a cloudy day as it is on a sunny day. Clouds block only 20% of UV light from the sun.
Just 10 minutes of sun exposure can cause sun burn
Remember, the suns rays are just as direct in April, as they are in August.
UV-A rays easily penetrate glass, even though UV-B rays are blocked.

Sun Damage & Skin Cancer

50-80% of our lifetime exposure to sun occurs before the age of 18
Most people exhibit some type of sun damage by age 25-30
90% of women have some type of pigmentation problem due to pregnancy, hormones, birth control pills and/or the sun.
UV light is responsible for at least 90% of all skin cancer.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in this country
Approximately 65 percent of melanomas and 90 percent of basal and squamous cell skin cancers are attributed to UV exposure.
Statistics of almost all cancers are known because they are reported to cancer registries. But the exact numbers of nonmelanoma skin cancer cases are not readily available because most are treated in doctors' offices and not reported to cancer registries. Nonmelanoma skin cancers are not reported. This means that all the number of people who develop nonmelanoma skin cancers each year is not known
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1 million non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed every year; therefore, as many nonmelanoma skin cancers diagnosed each year as all other cancers combined.
Researchers estimate that 40 to 50 percent of people in the United States who live to age 65 will have nonmelanoma skin cancer at least once. The risk is highest for fair-skinned people with red or blond hair and light-colored eyes.
During the past 10 years the number of cases of melanoma has increased more rapidly than any other cancer. Over 51,000 new cases are reported to the American Cancer Society each year; and probably that many more occur which are not reported.
Melanoma, which causes 1 American death every 68 minutes, was expected to increase 10% in 2005. This increase raises an American’s lifetime risk of developing melanoma to 1 in 34 (this risk was 1in 74 in 2000).
The most important preventable cause of melanoma is excessive exposure to UV radiation from the sun or other sources.
1 in 5 Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.
3% of childhood cancers are skin cancers
Skin cancer occurs more often in women, in their late 20s and early 30s, than breast cancer.
Today, melanoma is the second most common cancer in women aged 20 to 29.
Occurrences of skin cancer are on the rise even though sunscreen use is increased. Many believe this is because most sunscreens stop UV-B rays, so people stay in the sun longer, thinking they are protected. This leads to prolonged UV-A exposure and significant sun damage.
There is no such thing as a “safe” sun tan. If you absolutely must be tan – avoid the sun – try a sunless tanning product.
Teenagers won't see the effects of sun damage until they reach their 40s and 50s or later. By then, however, the damage already is done.

Sunscreens

A sunscreen’s SPF number is a measure of the protection provided against UV-B (290nm – 320nm) rays only.
The term “Broad Spectrum” seen on sunscreen labeling is often misleading, and does not necessarily imply adequate protection through the majority of the UV-A spectrum. Read more about Broad-Spectrum UV Protection and Critical Wavelength.
The vast majority of sunscreens on the market do not provide substantial protection against long-wave UV-A radiation. Review the sunscreens we offer at Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Specialists to ensure you are always protected.
Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with long-wave UV-A protection is critical, because the UV-A rays easily penetrate glass, even though the shorter wavelength UV-B rays are blocked.
Sunscreen should be applied to the skin at a concentration of at least 2mg / cm2 body surface. That means that an adult male should use about one ounce (30-35cc, a shot glass) of sunscreen per application.
A sunscreen with SPF 30 does not provide twice as much protection as one with SPF 15. SPF protection does not actually increase proportionately with a designated SPF number. With an SPF of 30, 97% of UV-B rays are deflected, while an SPF of 15 indicates 93% deflection and an SPF of 2 equals 50% deflection. Read more about Sun Protection Factor (SPF) Rating System and UV-B Protection.
Some of the newer research in the last several years shows that sub-erythemal doses (exposure to the sun that does not cause reddening of the skin), of as little as one-tenth the energy needed to get a sunburn, start the process of skin damage of one sort or another.
93% of parents do not correctly use sunscreen on their children
33% of adolescents never use sunscreen.
15% of the population believes they are allergic to sunscreen, when in reality only 3-5% of the population (is allergic to, or) has had some reaction to a sunscreen product.
The public under-applies sunscreens by as much as half of the recommended amount, concluded a study published in the Archives of Dermatology. Consequently, the study argued, consumers are receiving only half of the SPF protection they believe the product provides.