2024-02-04 11:13:00
Admittedly, in February you don’t necessarily think about sun protection, especially in this country. On the occasion of today’s World Cancer Day and the upcoming training camp season, we would still like to draw attention to this method of minimizing the risk of skin cancer.
Frank Wechsel / spomedis
Times of high exposure to UV radiation
The sun’s exposure to the skin in Germany is highest in June and July. In the Canary Islands, the proximity to the equator ensures high UV exposure all year round and in Mallorca you can literally grill in the spring. Then it is particularly important to protect yourself from the sun. For example with sunscreen, milk or gel. All of them should be applied sufficiently half an hour before spending time in the sun and reapplied regularly. Attention: Re-applying cream does not extend the protective effect, it only maintains it.
What actually happens due to the rays?
When we spend time outdoors, ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaches our body, which affects the skin and eyes and can cause lasting damage to both. The most important change is the damage to the genetic material in the cells. The short-term consequences of UV radiation can be eye inflammation, sunburn or sun allergy; in the long-term it can lead to premature skin aging, clouding of the lens and cancer.
Importance of sun protection factor
SPF stands for sun protection factor, which is an indication of how much longer we can stay in the sun beyond the (individual!) skin’s own protection time with appropriate sunscreen. With SPF 30, for example, this time is extended by that same factor. If you can stay in the sun for ten minutes without getting sunburned due to your skin type, you can theoretically stay in the sun for 300 minutes with SPF 30. The prerequisite is a sufficiently thick layer of cream. The SPF generally only refers to protection against UVB rays. If the UVA protection is more than a third of the SPF, the sunscreen can receive a label in the form of a circled “UVA”.
Feel free to grab it
The sun protection factor is determined for the defined concentration of the sunscreen of 2 mg per cm² of skin. In order to achieve the sun protection factor stated on the sunscreen, 2 mg of the sunscreen must be applied per cm² of skin. As a simple and rough rule of thumb, you can remember that for an adult, four heaped tablespoons of sunscreen are enough for the entire body. Applying too little or reducing the amount of sunscreen by washing it off or rubbing it off will reduce the SPF. Applying only half the amount can reduce the SPF by two-thirds.
How sunscreen works
Sunscreens work with mineral or chemical UV filters. The first usually consists of metal oxide particles (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide), which lies on the skin and reflects the sun’s rays. The latter absorbs into the skin and converts UV radiation into heat radiation. Some of these ingredients, which are suspected of having a hormonal effect, are now often avoided. Chemicals often contained in corals such as oxybenzone are also believed to be responsible for coral bleaching. Their sale is banned in Hawaii, for example.
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