A Healthy Tan, Think Again
A suntan was once thought to be healthy, but most people now know it is a sign of skin damage caused by the sun.  The sun emits various types of rays, including two kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays, UVB and UVA, which affect our skin and eyes. These rays are invisible and do not feel hot.  When exposed to UV rays, whether from the sun or artifical sources like sunbeds, the skin tries to protect itself by producing a brownish coloured pigment called melanin which we see as a tan, to try to block the rays.  However, a tan does not really provide much protection from the sun and is equal to a sun protection factor (SPF) of about 2.  In people with very fair skin, there is often much less melanin, so the reaction to the sun's rays is seen as freckles rather than an over-all brownish colour. In the 1920’s upon Coco Chanel’s return to Paris from a vacation on the French Riviera with a tan, the fashion to suntan had begun.  At the same time, many low-status jobs involved working long hours indoors.  A deep tan suggested that you had the time and money to lie out in the sun. All these changes have, over many years, brought about a skin cancer epidemic throughout the world.  Ironically, the fashion world which started the trend to tan, is coming full circle on the issue.  The myth of a "healthy tan" has been destroyed.  Research into the effects of the sun on the skin has shown that the sun's rays not only burn us, but also cause premature aging, skin cancer, the depression of the immune system and contribute to the development of cataracts.	Test your knowledge, take the Sun Sensitivity Test.         Did you know? A 1929 article in Vogue stated, “A golden tan is the index of chic.” During the previous century, tanned skin was seen as a sign of working-class status and pale skin was seen as a sign of upper-class status.
Your Skin & What Matters
Your risk of skin cancer is related to your skin type and the amount of time you spend in the sun. Your risk of developing skin cancer among other factors highly depends on your skin type. In 1975, Fitzpatrick, a respected dermatologist created a standard for classifying individuals according to their skin color and burning and tanning responses to sun light exposure. Basically a low number means a higher risk. However, there are people with skin type 3 who develop skin cancer and even people with naturally dark skin can also develop skin cancer.

Skin Type	Example	Sun History
I.    Pale white skin	Red-headed, freckles, Irish/Scots/Welsh	Always burns easily, never tans, extremely sun sensitive skin
II.   White	Fair-skinned, fair-haired, blue or green-eyed, Caucasians	Always burns easily, tans minimally, very sun sensitive skin
III.  White (Average)	Average skin	Sometimes burns, tans gradually to light brown, sun sensitive skin
IV.  Beige or lightly tanned	Mediterranean-type Caucasians	Burns minimally, always tans to moderate brown, minimally sun sensitive
V.   Moderate brown or tanned	Middle Eastern, some Hispanics, some African-Americans	Rarely burns, tans well, sun insensitive skin
VI.  Dark brown or black	African-Americans	Never burns, deeply pigmented, sun insensitive skin

When do I need to protect myself from the sun? You should protect you skin from the sun from 10 am to 4 pm beginning in early spring until early fall and during winter if you are involved in outdoor activities. The sun's rays are at theis strongest around midday, so try to avoid exposure around that time. The sun is harsher the closer you are located to the equator and at higher altitudes where the thinner atmos­phere blocks fewer of the sun's rays. The damaging effects of direct exposure to the sun can be increased if there is reflection from snow, water and light coloured sand.  Snow reflects up to 80 per cent of the sun's rays - so you could be getting a double dose of radiation when involved in winter sports. How should I protect myself? There are many ways to protect yourself from the sun's harmful rays, check out the following links for easy ways to protect yourself.  To learn more about the UV Index and what precautions to take on high UV days, click on the UV scale. Sunsceens Sun Protective Clothing Shade

06/25/2009