Out in the midday sun

Never mind the temperature outside, the hottest debate of the summer is whether to sunbathe or not. We ask suncare experts for their advice

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A BLINK of sunshine can do wonders for the great outdoors. The first hint of it can see hundreds of us rushing out to soak up the rays, convinced they will make us look younger and healthier.

The trouble is that scientists now believe that up to 80% of skin ageing is a result of our love of the sun, and we are constantly warned that the sun’s cancer-causing properties are contributing to the spiralling number of cases of skin cancer in the UK.

There are 100,000 new skin-cancer cases diagnosed each year, according to charity Cancer Research UK, and about 1,800 people a year die from malignant melanoma – the most aggressive skin cancer.

But recently, other experts have begun to warn that taking sun protection to extremes may deprive us of vital vitamin D and damage our long-term health.

Vitamin D is essential to help our bodies absorb enough calcium for healthy bone growth and a serious lack of it can lead to brittle bones, and even rickets in children.

In addition, recent research has suggested that higher levels of vitamin D might help to protect the body from colon, breast, prostate and other cancers.

Celebrities illustrate the growing divide on sunbathing. Some stars, such as Madonna, rarely expose themselves to the sun, and Nicole Kidman generally safeguards her porcelain complexion by covering up, but others, such as Jennifer Aniston, Coleen McLoughlin and Cat Deeley, resolutely remain, or promote the look of being, sun worshippers.

It’s all about achieving a healthy balance in our relationship with the sun, says Mike Brown, Boots’ suncare scientific adviser.

“I think it comes down to commonsense. We are trying to get a message across to those who never protect their skin from the sun that they should definitely use sunscreen, but we don’t want to scare those who are generally sensible about sun protection into becoming obsessive.

“Obviously, we don’t want people to fry themselves lobster red in the sun and rely on the excuse that they’re doing it to get vitamin D. The risks and dangers of that far outweigh any possible benefit. Sunburn doubles the risk of skin cancer.”

Tellingly, he says: “I have never seen any evidence that people who use sunscreen are vitamin D deficient. Also, I think the dangers of too much sun are far greater in terms of the effects on the skin than the consequence of having too little and the effect on vitamin D levels.

“Vitamin D can be absorbed through some foods as well as being made in the body after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. I think the jury’s out on whether the vitamin D made in the skin is essential or is just a back-up mechanism.”

Although there is no conclusive evidence pointing to how much sun is needed to generate vitamin D, Brown says that research by Newcastle General Hospital estimated that the amount of sunlight required to generate an acceptable level of vitamin D for the average person is about five to 15 minutes’ exposure three to four times a week on the hands and face.

He suggests that, in the UK during the late autumn, winter and early spring, when the sun is unlikely to be strong and putting you at risk of damaging sunburn, it’s probably unnecessary to use sunscreen for short periods outdoors and you could allow your skin to be exposed to sunlight to help you build up vitamin D stores.

“If you’re concerned about vitamin D, you can take a supplement, or include in your diet more foods rich in vitamin D, such as oily fish, cod liver oil, dairy products, eggs and fortified cereals.”

And if you’re going to enjoy this summer’s sun, Brown advises you not to underestimate the power of those rays, even if you stay in Britain and don’t venture abroad.

Last year, according to research company ICM, 60% of sunburn cases were suffered by Brits who stayed in the UK.

Brown advises wearing a daily moisturiser with SPF15 to protect from incidental sun exposure and then moving to a suntan lotion with a minimum of SPF15 when you know you’re going to be exposed.

“The truth is, our skin is exposed to more sun during the year than it is on those two weeks when we’re abroad,” he says.

“Too many people disregard sun protection unless they are abroad on holiday or on a beach,” agrees Dr Geoffrey Mullan, from Medicetics Sun Clinic, a personal summer skin consultation and advice service based in London (www.medicetics.com).

“That’s completely misguided because sun damage can occur at any time you are exposed, whether simply walking around outside, at work or in the garden. Most people need to protect themselves far more than they do. There’s no conclusive evidence to suggest that sun protection prevents us from having adequate levels of vitamin D.”

He offers guidance for those who find those initials and sun factors baffling.

There are two types of UV radiation: UVA is responsible for skin ageing and UVB causes sunburn. Both are thought to be a major risk factor for skin cancer.

He points out that UVA rays are the longer radiation waves which penetrate further down into the skin and cause most of the long-term damage, as well as permanent darkening and pigmentation changes.

“Many of the cheaper sunscreens do not have an ingredient to block UVA rays, so look for sunscreens that do say they protect against UVA.”

SPF is a ratio, he explains.

“It means that if you have skin that would normally burn in a certain intensity of sun in 10 minutes and wear factor 12, your skin will not burn for 120 minutes (12x10).”

His tip to improve sunscreen effectiveness? Use a vitamin C cream under a normal sunscreen.

“This can increase its effect by between 50 to 100%. This is because the vitamin C helps ‘mop up’ the damaging free radicals caused by the UV radiation that, in turn, damage the skin.”

But he debunks a couple of myths – that clothing or glass block out the sun’s rays.

“Many people think that, while driving with closed windows, they will be protected from UV rays. While this is true to a degree, we now realise that glass does not block out all rays.

“Also, people believe that clothes protect them from UV, but that’s not true, and it’s especially important to realise that for children’s safety. For example, a lightweight hat gives an SPF of around only three to six and summer-weight clothing around SPF six. By contrast, sun-protective clothing gives a protection of up to SPF 30.”

Melanoma is now the third most common cancer among 15 to 39-year-olds and it is especially prevalent among those who burned as children and those who regularly used sunbeds as teenagers.

Cancer Research UK advises those who want to stay sun-safe and not sun-damaged:

Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, make sure you never burn and aim to cover up with a hat, T-shirt and sunglasses.

Use cream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, apply 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply it regularly (about every two hours). Remember to take extra care with children and ensure that they wear a hat and protective clothing.

It’s a myth that getting pre-holiday colour, either fake or real, will provide more protection against harmful rays. This misguided theory may wrongly tempt people to have a pre-trip sunbed session, but the intensity of UV rays from a sunbed can be 10-15 times higher than the midday sun, so it can result in damage and age your skin 10 times faster.