Sun protection is more than skin deep

A monthly update from the Pharmacy Guild

Spring has sprung and Summer is around the corner. Wherever you are in Australia that means one thing, higher risk of sunburn and if not protected, skin cancers too.

According to the Cancer Council, skin cancers account for 80 per cent of all freshly diagnosed cancers.

And there are three types of skin cancers.

There’s melanoma the most dangerous skin cancer and the one we mostly hear most about.

But there are also basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Both are described as non-melanoma and usually non-life threatening but should still be avoided.

So how do you best protect your skin from the sun and minimise your exposure to sunburn and skin cancer?

We all know the old slogan “Slip, slop, slap” which is a good start, but it is also important to know what the best sun protection to ‘slop’ on your skin.

As well, did you know that certain medicines can also increase your risk to sunburn?

Medicines which increase risk of sunburn must carry a label warning the patient to “avoid skin exposure to sunlight ...”

If you are taking medicine and are not sure, ask your pharmacist about whether your medicine will increase that risk.

It’s also important not to use the temperature or sunshine as your only cues as to when to protect yourself from the sun.

Sunburn can apply on mild and even overcast days because your risk of sunburn is determined by the sun’s ultraviolet light or UV not the temperature.

You may often hear about the ‘UV Index’ on weather reports and you can even download apps from the weather bureau which will give you a live UV rating in your location.

The Cancer Council recommends using sunscreen on days when the UV Index is forecast to be three or above.

Sunscreens are rated by their ‘Sun Protection Factor’ or their SPF and the maximum protection you can get in Australia for your skin is SPF 50+.

Just because it offers the maximum protection doesn’t mean you can be complacent once it’s applied.

Like other sunscreens it must be reapplied every two hours and it should also be water resistant even if you are not going to be in the water, because sweat can also reduce the protection of SPF sunscreen.

If you are usure about the best sunscreen to use, ask your pharmacist or skin care specialist.

And don’t forget to also “slip” and “slap” as part your “slip, slop, slap”.

That is “slip” on a shirt or other clothing to protect from the sun and “slap” on a hat.

Even if you have taken all the right precautions to avoid sunburn, you should still be vigilant against skin cancers.

It’s essential that you do regular checks of your skin.

Pharmacists offer this service as do GPs and at the very least you can ask family members to check your ‘out of sight’ areas of your body such as your back or scalp.

If you are unfortunate enough to get sunburnt this summer (after all it is very painful), drink plenty of fluids to rehydrate and use ice packs or apply something cool to ease the burns.

The sunny season is a great time of the year and shouldn’t be spoilt by sunburn, so if you take all the right steps, you can still enjoy your time in the sun.

And if you need any assistance or advice, your local community pharmacist is only too happy to help.