How to Protect Your Skin From Sun's Burning Rays

Summer is just around the corner, which means that millions of people will soon head for the beach. Dermatologist David Leffell, MD, author of the book Total Skin, offers some advice on how to protect ourselves from the sun's scourge to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Leffell is a professor of dermatology and surgery at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. He is also chief of the Section of Dermatologic and Laser Surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Just how dangerous is sunbathing?

Well the sun causes 90% of premature aging of the skin. The sun is the single biggest factor in causing us to look older before our time. It causes broken blood vessels, wrinkling, brown spots, and precancers.

Many people use tanning parlors thinking that getting a base tan first will be helpful in preventing sun damage. Is this true?

Sadly, the bulbs used in these units cause premature aging of the skin, so while they may get a bit of a tan they are actually speeding up the chance that they will be prune-faces before they are 30.

Speaking of wrinkles, is there anything out there to help getting rid of them?

Most of the products are good moisturizers that plump up the skin, or weak acids that cause a little irritation that makes the skin look fuller. None of the products are harmful, but the only cream proven to fix sun damage still is tretinoin, best known by its brand name of Retin-A, which is available in special formulations to treat premature aging of the skin.

Does the sun cause skin cancer too?

The sun is the single most common cause of the common skin cancers. Ultraviolet rays in the sun cause mutations in the DNA of the skin that lead to skin cancer.

There are two different types of skin cancer--melanoma and nonmelanoma. What's the difference?

Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, comes from the pigment cells in our skin, and those cancer cells can travel to other parts of the body. The other kind, mostly basal cell cancer, is the most common, but it does not spread in the body and is easily cured.

Can nonmelanoma turn into melanoma?

No. It's a common myth. They do not turn into each other.

What should one watch out for when looking for signs of skin cancer?

Well, the most common sign is a sore that doesn't heal completely or bleeds. I hear that from patients most often. Also, it tends to heal up only to come back, and that is a good sign that the growth should be biopsied. Basal cell cancer is easily treated if diagnosed early.

How can we protect our skin this summer?

First, use sunscreen. A sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 is excellent: It blocks about 95% of sun's burning rays. An SPF of 30 blocks about 97% of the sun's burning rays. You want to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks the aging rays of th sun as well. Look for titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or Parasol 1789 in the ingredients.

Second, apply the sunscreen or sun block every 2 hours while active outdoors.

Third, use sunscreen if all you are wearing is a T-shirt. The average white, cotton T-shirt just provides an SPF of only 4 to 6.

Fourth, wear a hat with a broad brim--easier said than done, but it really makes a difference. The outback hats are good, and there is a reason they wear them in Australia.

Fifth, and most important, protect kids from the sun between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. About 85% of lifetime sun exposure is acquired by age 18, and because sun damage accumulates like compound interest, anything you do early can be of help.

Is there anything new out there to help us, since we are probably going to continue to go in the sun?

There is a new compound, recently tested, that seems to reverse the genetic injury caused by the sun that leads to skin cancr. In addition, other compounds are in the early stages of testing which hopefully will act like a morning-after cream, compounds that might reverse the damage caused by low-grade sun exposure or even an acute burn.

Talking about burns, what should we do if we do get sunburned?

First, apply moisturizer. Second, and this is for adults only, use aspirin to cut down on the inflammation. A soothing tepid bath using Aveeno or a similar oatmeal product can be comforting, as can the application of 1% hydrocortisone, which is available over the counter.
©MMII CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed