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TRAVEL TIP: FACTORING SPF

By David Schwoegler

Warm climate travel brings increased exposure to ultraviolet sunrays, the principal cause of more than 700,000 skin cancers annually, according to the American Cancer Society. The good news is that at least 90% of skin cancers are curable. Better yet, preventing skin cancer is pretty much a matter of behavior, clothing and sunscreens. But the latter can prove confusing.

BEHAVIOR–Simply put, avoid the sun between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. Reflected sunlight reaches shaded outdoor areas.

CLOTHING–The best protection is clothing. Exposed body parts contract 90% of skin cancers. Wide-brimmed hats, tightly woven long-sleeved shirts and long pants are ideal summer togs. See www.sunprecautions.com for special travel and athletic sun-protective clothing.

SUNSCREENS–Medical sources recommend applying a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 sunscreen on exposed skin at least 15 minutes before exposure to absorb or reflect ultraviolet rays. SPF is a ratio of the UVB exposure that causes skin redness with and without the sunscreen. 

Recently “broad-based” was added to include sunscreen containing avobenzone, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These ingredients offer additional protection against UVA rays that can damage skin and contribute to malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Board-certified Kaiser dermatologist and UCSF assistant professor Dr. Jeffery Schnieder maintains a special interest in skin cancer prevention or early detection.  Follow his “teaspoon rule” for sunscreen application. Apply slightly more than a half-teaspoon to each arm, as well as to the face and neck. Apply slightly more than one teaspoon to each leg, the chest and the back. He says using the proper amount protects better than using a smaller amount of a higher SPF product.

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