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Sun Smarts - got yours?
We've compiled information about basic sun awareness in case you want to brush up on your sun smarts!
- ABC's of UV - What is it anyway?
- How much UV reaches me?
- UV Index - how do I read it and what does it mean?
- Simple things that you can do to practice safe sun
- Special Sun Sense for Babies
- SPF - What is it? How does it work?
- Sunscreen: How to Choose One! How to Apply it!
- Skin Cancer - Stats and Facts
1. ABC'S OF UV - WHAT IS IT ANYWAY?
The sun is made up of three different kinds of ultraviolet rays including UVA, UVB and UVC.
- UVA: Think A for Aging. Present all year round, these rays can gradually destroy the skins elasticity resulting in
photoaging and wrinkling.
- UVB: Think B for Burning. These rays are responsible for sun tanning, burning, eye cataracts and skin cancer.
These rays undergo seasonal and daily changes and are more intense at midday, during
summer months, in hot climates and at higher altitudes.
- UVC: Think C for Caution. These rays are filtered out by the earth's protective ozone layer.
Source: Environment Canada - UV and you
2. HOW MUCH UV REACHES ME? IT DEPENDS ON:
| Time of day. | UV is greatest at midday when the sun is high (between 11am - 4pm). |
| Season. | UV is greatest in the summer. |
| Cloud Cover. | Up to 80% of the sun's rays can penetrate puffy, light cloud, mist, haze and fog. |
| Type of Surface You Are On. | Snow, sand, water or concrete reflect up to 85% of the sun's rays back onto your skin, just like a mirror, adding to your dose of UV. |
| Your Elevation. | You get more UV on a mountain than at lower elevations as the air is clearer and thinner. |
| Where You Are On The Earth. | UV is strongest at the equator and gets weaker as you go toward the earth's poles. If you live in southern Canada, you will receive more UV than if you live in the Artic. |
| How long you're in the sun. | The longer you are out in the sun, the more UV you receive. |
| What you are wearing. | Most summer clothing often expose more skin to UV and don't provide adequate protection. |
Source: Environment Canada - UV and you
3. THE UV INDEX - HOW DO I READ IT & WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
In 1992, Environment Canada scientists developed the UV Index, a method to predict the strength of the sun's UV rays, based on the day-to-day changes in the ozone layer becoming the first country in the world to issue nation wide daily
forecasts of tomorrow's UV.
UV is measured on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being a typical midday value for a summer day in the tropics - where UV is at its highest on earth. The higher the number on the UV index, the more UV you will get and the faster you will sunburn.
| UV Index | Category | Sunburn Time |
| Over 9 | Extreme | Less than 15 Minutes |
| 7-9 | High | About 20 minutes |
| 4-7 | Moderate | About 30 minutes |
| 0-4 | Low | more than 1 hour |
Plan ahead to protect yourself. Find out how strong the sun will be each day by listening to the weather forecast.
Source: Environment Canada - UV and you
4. SIMPLE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO PRACTICE SAFE SUN:
- Slip
- on protective clothing to cover vulnerable areas like your shoulders, arms and legs.
- Slop
- on a sunscreen with a SPF 15 or higher (make sure it is broad spectrum blocking both UVA and UVB rays). Apply generously 20 minutes before heading outside to allow your skin to absorb the sunscreen completely. Reapply frequently, at least every two hours especially after swimming and sweating.
- Slap
- on a wide brimmed hat and UV protective sunglasses. Most skin cancers occur on the face and neck.
- Seek shade or create your own shade.
- Reduce your sun exposure between 11am and 4pm
- when the sun’s rays are their strongest.
- Avoid the tanning beds
- you might have heard that you can get a “safe tan without burning” from a tanning bed. Don’t be fooled. No tan is a safe tan. Tanning is just evidence of skin damage. Tanning beds are just like the sun emitting ultraviolet rays that can cause skin damage, photoaging and increase your risk of skin cancer.
- Examine your skin regularly.
- most skin cancers can be cured if treated at an early stage. Get to know your skin and look for any irregularities or differences in color and shading.
Source: Canadian Cancer Society - Sun Sense
5. SPECIAL SUN SENSE FOR BABIES:
Obviously, babies have delicate and sensitive skin that can be easily damaged by the sun.
- Babies have more skin surface relative to their body mass than an adult, therefore making sunburns more serious.
- Babies have more sensitive skin because the outermost layer of their skin is thinner.
- Babies can't tell you when they're too hot or the sun is too bright. When the baby starts to cry, it is hard to tell whether they are tired, hungry or hot.
- Babies can't physically move themselves out of the sunlight like a one year old is able.
What can you do?
- Keep babies under one year out of direct sunlight to prevent skin damage and dehydration. Keep them in the shade either under a tree, umbrella or stroller canopy.
- Dress them in protective clothing including long pants, long sleeve shirts and wide brimmed hats.
- It is recommended that you do not use sunscreen on babies under six months old.
Source: Environment Canada - UV and you
6. SPF - WHAT IS IT? HOW DOES IT WORK?
SPF - Sun Protection Factor of sunscreens - refers to the length of time you should be able to stay in the sun without burning after properly applying it to your skin. For example, if it only takes 10 minutes of exposure to the sun before you get a sunburn, an SPF of 15 would ideally provide 10 x 15 = 150 minutes of protection from burning.
Keep in mind, there are variables that impact the effectiveness of your sunscreen.
- Most people do not apply enough sunscreen or don't reapply it often enough limiting its effectiveness.
- To work properly, a sunscreen needs to be applied 15-30 minutes before heading outside to allow the active ingredients enough time to combine with the elements in the skin.
- SPF generally refers to the amount of protection from UVB rays only so it is important to look for broad spectrum sunscreens (those that protect from both UVA and UVB rays).
7. SUNSCREEN: HOW TO CHOOSE ONE! HOW TO APPLY IT!
- Dermatologists recommend using a broad spectrum, SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. Look for the Canadian Dermatology Association logo on sunscreen products to be on the safe side.
- The protective ingredients in sunscreens are divided into two types of barriers to UV: physical and chemical. Physical barriers will reflect and scatter UV rays away from the skin. Includes minerals such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and iron oxide. Chemical barriers will prevent sunburn by absorbing UVB rays. They include the following groups: paraaminobenzoic acid (PABA), cinnimates, benzophenones and dibenzoylmethanes. Choose sunscreens that contain both physical and chemical barriers.
- Test for an allergic reaction before applying it all over. Apply it to a small patch of skin on inner forearm for several days running. If you notice a reaction, change products. You may want to choose a sunscreen that is PABA-free since many people have sensitivities to it.
- Apply the sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outside.
- Reapply sunscreen frequently and liberally especially after swimming or sweating. The average adult requires enough sunscreen to fill a jigger (approximately 1oz) to cover their entire body. Look for water-resistant or water proof products if you are spending time in the water or playing sports.
- Don't forget to protect prominent areas like lips, nose, cheeks, top of ears and shoulders. Consider applying zinc oxide and lip balm with SPF 15 protection.
8. SKIN CANCER - STATS AND FACTS:
- Studies show that 80% of sun damage occurs before the age of 18.
- Children born today have a 1 in 7 risk of developing skin cancer in their lifetime.
- Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a "healthy tan". A tan or burn is our skin's way of trying to protect itself from the sun and is physical evidence of skin damage. Sunlight stimulates the body's production of melanin, the tanning pigment, which rises to the surface to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays.
- Almost all skin cancers are preventable.
- The incidence of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is increasing at a very high rate and is in fact doubling every 15 years.
- The development of melanoma has been linked to severe sunburns at an early age.
Of all new cancers diagnosed this year, more than half will be a form of skin cancer.
There are more cases of skin cancer than all other forms of cancer combined.
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