Skin cancers and photoaging/chronic skin damage are recognized as consequences of solar UV exposure by government agencies and numerous professional organizations. These groups recommend strategies to reduce solar UV exposure (Table 4). Chief among the recommendations of any safe sun strategy is the use of sunscreen products.
American Academy of Dermatology (http://www. aad. org/)
The American Academy of Dermatology’s Guidelines/Outcomes Committee has developed “Guidelines of Care for Photoaging/Photodamage.” In these guidelines the committee states, “No credible scientific evidence contradicts the relation of sun exposure to the development of skin cancer and the undesirable results of photoaging and photodamage.” The committee contends that a significant portion of the approximately $14 billion spent on cosmetics in the U. S. in 1996 was specifically spent to conceal the effects of photoaging and photodamage. An additional significant amount of money is spent on surgical and medical procedures. The committee believes that early recognition and treatment of photodamaged and photoaged skin will lead to a decrease in the incidence of premalignant and malignant skin lesions.
• Photodamage and photoaging are at least partially reversible with photoprotection, and the use of sunscreens that protect against solar UV is encouraged.
American Cancer Society (http://www. cancer. org)
In its efforts to educate the American public about the importance of prevention and early detection of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers, the American Cancer Society discusses on its Web site the damage that UV can cause to skin and eyes, including the effects of photoaging.
The short-term results of unprotected exposure to UV rays are sunburn and tanning. The long-term effect of such damage is more serious. UV exposure that is intense enough to cause sunburn clearly increases the risk of developing skin cancers. And UV exposure can increase skin cancer risk even without causing sunburn. Long-term exposure can also cause premature changes in skin including:
• Aging
• Wrinkles
• Loss of elasticity
• Dark patches (lentigos, that are sometimes called “age spots” or “liver spots”
• Actinic keratoses.
Skin Cancer Foundation (http://www. skincancer. org/)
The Skin Cancer Foundation recently updated its brochure, “Simple Steps to Sun Safety,” which states:
• Your skin is an excellent record keeper. Every moment in the sun adds up, accumulating like money in the bank. The payoff, however, is damage to the skin
Table 4 Safe Sun Guideline Practices
Minimize exposure to solar UV radiation, especially between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm DST
Wear protective clothing (e. g., wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts, and pants) Always use sun protection while outdoors, including when near snow, water, sand, and at high elevations
Avoid artificial tanning devices, such as tanning booths and sunlamps
Use the UV index when planning outdoor activities
Apply sunscreens with an SPF greater than or equal to 15 daily
and possibly skin cancer. … Sunlight also causes wrinkling, blotching, drying, and leathering of the skin, making you look old before your time. The best defense, now, and for the future, is to limit time in the sun and protect yourself whenever you go outdoors.