| |
|
|
| |
- The number of skin cancer cases has more than doubled worldwide since the early 1980s.
- The most common cancer in America is skin cancer.
- Australians have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.
- Over 2,000 people die from skin cancer each year in the UK.
Yet skin cancer is preventable by simply staying out of the sun and protecting yourself when you do. |
| |
|
|
|
In the olden days (ask your grandparents) a tan was confined to outdoor folk, the bottom of the social ladder working in the fields all day, heavens forbid. Now a tan says, ‘Heh, I’m sexy, interesting and well travelled!’ But to the medical world a tan is a sign of exposure to enough UV to damage the skin. In fact melanin production - a tan - is our body's response to injury, not a protective response to prevent burning.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is emitted by the sun. There are 3 different types: UVA, UVB and UVC.
The earth's atmosphere blocks all UVC radiation and all but a small amount of UVB, so the ultraviolet radiation at the earth's surface is mostly UVA although that little bit of UVB is what causes the most damage to human’s skin.
The clever folk at the weather station calculate a UV index on a daily basis to describe the strength of the sun's rays. They look at cloud cover as well as the position of the sun in the sky and the ozone amounts in the atmosphere. Basically, the higher the UV rating, the more you should protect yourself against the sun (although it does depend on your skin colour).
|
|
Why are we all still sunbathing? |
| |
|
|
|
For those that live in Northern Europe & can count the number of days on their hand when it was hot enough to get sun burnt, skin cancer just doesn’t seem like an issue. Right?
Obviously those with fair skin, red or fair hair, lots of freckles and moles, family history of skin cancer etc etc will be. However because of the rising incidence of skin cancer, researches are suggesting that it’s not that the sun has got stronger just that more people are spending quality time in the sun either sunbathing or some other outdoor activity. That means YOU, Mr.Windsurfer.
Then there is the fact that water & snow can reflect up to 85 percent of the sun's rays which means your skin will sunburn more quickly when you’re out windsurfing or building snowmen.
But you are generally less at risk than your fellow windsurfer that lives in Maui or Western Oz however it all depends on the UV index on that particular day you go out.
We looked at the UV index over the weekend of 6/7 May 2006 across the world using the following guides (see below) courtesy of the Ozone Hole & the MET Office so we could gauge just how vulnerable we all are to UV radiation: |
|
Burn Young, Pay Later...... |
| |
|
|
Louise shows off her tan but at what expense?
Meanwhile Karen covers up - good girl!
| It’s clearly a sunny weekend in the UK as a UV index of 5 for most of the south will mean you’ll cook nicely in 30mins. |
|
| Remebering that it is winter down under, the most populated areas of Australia still have a moderate risk of sunburn over the first weekend in May. Come their summer the majority of the country will be in the high risk category. |
|
| Hawaii & Florida get a killing with a 11 rating. That means don’t even think about going out in the sun but I doubt that will stop the many holidaymakers & all those windsurfers on Maui enjoying the weather. |
|
| Greece is beginning to hot up, nearly getting into the high exposure category. |
|
| We’re off to Spain where you’ll burn in 20 mins down in Tarifa in the afternoon sun. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
Ok, so you may not live in a sunny climate but hands up who got themselves very burnt as a child/teenager on holiday or on that one hot summer’s day? Who ended up with crusty shoulders or a red nose and then picked away at the skin for weeks on end?
Not good. 10-24 years are the "formative" years of skin cancer. One blistering burn doubles your risk of getting the very deadly melanoma. Some sources suggest that it is likely that most skin damage from ultraviolet radiation occurs before the age of 20. Crikey, that’s a scary thought.
Wind burn is a misnomer. You can only burn from UV rays from the sun. If you have been out sailing in cold sunny weather and your cheeks are red it can be one of two things: you have burnt because the sun was strong enough but the wind continually cooled your face so you didn’t realise it. Or your face got very cold and your body’s response is to send warming blood to the skin’s surface creating a redness on the surface of the skin, aka rosy cheeks. |
|
|
Have you creamed those shoulders? |
|
Yeah, yeah, yeah….wear a long arm wetsuit, booties, wide brim hat, wrap around sunnies and plenty of suncream put on at least 30mins before you sail. I bet you’re all thinking I’d rather not sail than have to windsurf in a hat, booties & wrap around shades, and what happens in the waves? Damn, lost another pair of Oakleys. It’s just not realistic for our sport when you’re constantly in and out of the water.
So what’s the compromise, what should we definitely do?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Rule No.1: Buy a decent suncream.
Sunscreens either block or absorb ultraviolet light. Those white zinc creams block it; sun creams with PABA in (para-aminobenzoic acid) absorb it.
Until recently suncreams only reflected the UVB rays (the nasty ones that burn the skin) but now the good ones also protect us from the UVA rays that age our skin. So buy a UVB/UVA protective cream that is also waterproof rather than water resistant. The good ones also shouldn’t need re-applying for 2 hours when out sailing.
Pro Sport are one of the most popular makes in the watersports world. Their suncream has been rated at the top of the 8 hour waterproof tests every year since the tests began in 1991. Boardseeker are giving away 15 tubes of the stuff. Go to INSIDE LINE to enter the competition. |
|
Suncream works better than hands.... |
|
| |
Rule No.2: At least a 30 SPF
| The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) says that if you’re ok in the sun for 10mins then you will be ok in the sun for 10x30 minutes if you’re using a SPF30. That’s 5 hours! However you must slap it on and re-apply if you find yourself face planting out on the water or getting a good old rinsing in the waves. |
|
 |
|
| |
Rule No.3: 30 minute rule
Windsurfers are not known for their timing, like always turning up to the beach when the wind is dropping, but this rule is so important. Suncream takes 30 minutes to properly absorb into your skin. If you’re away windsurfing in some sunny climate, then slap it on before breakfast. Or when you arrive to the beach, apply before you get out of the car, not running down the beach to your newly rigged kit. |
| |
| You can’t windsurf in sunglasses. Ok, let’s correct that, you can if you never fall off. Racers? Yes, they can do a whole weekend of competition without getting their ankles wet and a lot do wear sunnies as they are constantly looking at the water for wind shifts and gusts. Fair enough. But the majority of sailors enjoy a good dipping and you just can’t improve unless you’re prepared for some wipeouts. So what can we do to protect our eyes? To be honest, not a lot on the water, but as soon as you come off the water, put them on and invest in a decent pair. |
|
 |
|
| |
Can you burn through a rash vest? It depends on the thickness of the weave. The lighter, thinner ones made with a mixture of nylon and spandex will let UV rays through their thin fibres but the heavier weight ones won't. Making sure your rashie is not skin tight will also help as it is when the fabric streches that UV rays can sneak through. |
|
 |
|
| |
| Your hair is designed to protect you from the sun but those with little on top need to slap on the suncream. Some windsurfers, including the legendary Alan Cadiz, do wear hats but again not ideal if you’re wave sailing or learning a new move. However, there is no excuse for not wearing a cap or hat off the water. |
|
 |
|
| |
Just do as your mother would tell you & come in for a drink every once in a while. No, not a rum & ginger to celebrate your first planing carve gybe but plain old water.
As a rough guide, you should be drinking approx 2 litres of water per day + 1 litre for every hour of excercise you do.
Its a lot!! |
|
 |
|
There are three types of skin cancer: squamous, basal cell and malignant melanoma.
Basal cell
This is the most common and the least serious. It starts as a small round lump which is red, pale or pearly in colour. They are most common on the head, neck, hands & forearms. They can be surgically removed.
Squamous cell
This is more serious as it can spread to other parts of the body if you do nothing about it. It appears as spots, lumps, sores or ulcers that just won’t clear and bleed easily. Like basal cell, they are mainly found on parts of the skin most exposed to the sunlight. Most are surgically removed.
Malignant melanoma
This develops in the cells of the outer layer of the skin. If caught early it can be successfully treated but if it spreads to other parts of the body it can be fatal. The first signs are a change in the look or feel of a mole. Surgery if the first option but if left it may be that your lymph nodes are affected and they may also have to be removed. At a very late stage, it can spread to anywhere in the body. Then the treatment will include radiotherapy & chemotherapy to try and destroy the cancer cells. Only 1 out of 10 skin cancers are this type.
Mole check
Let’s not get too paranoid and slip in a nightly mole check between brushing your teeth & combing your blond locks. But maybe once every few months, maybe once a month if you’re in the higher risk category. If you have a big mole that stands out or one you are worried about for any reason then take a picture of it with a ruler next to it. Months later when you spot it in the mirror and think, “oh no, it’s changed”, you can find the photo on your computer & you’ll probably find it hasn’t.
» This is what to look for…the ABCD.
You need Vitamin D to maintain strong bones. With a serious lack of it, you will end up with osteomalacia (rickets in children). Exposure to UVB radiation from the sun is necessary for the skin to make Vitamin D. However, you don't need a lot of sun to get the vitamin D you need. Just five minutes a day will do. You also can’t make more Vitamin D by staying in the sun any longer. Once your requirement is met, the body just chucks the rest away. It doesn't mean you have to lie out in the sun!
If normal levels are built up in the summer, you will have enough to last you throughout the winter.
In 2003 Professor Cedric Garland published a letter in the British Medical Journal that declared that a lack of sunlight could cause certain cancers, like breast cancer. He recommended that we should have 10-15mins a day in the sun without sunscreen to allow our bodies to produce enough Vitamin D. But Cancer Research UK disagrees saying we get enough exposure through a normal daily routine which includes time outdoors. You could also boost your Vitamin D through diet thereby avoiding any risk of getting sunburnt. Eating more oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) or take cod liver oil tablets if you think you are not getting outdoors enough, especially in the winter. There’s another excuse not to pack up your windsurfing kit just because it’s winter!!
If you don’t get burnt, you’re much less likely to develop skin cancer. As windsurfers the risk is greatly increased but there are basic things you can do to reduce the risk:
1. Follow the UV index for where you live.
2. Wear a SPF30 sun cream applied 30mins before you sail.
3. Keep hydrated.
4. Do not sunbath. When off the water, stay in the shade or cover up.
5. Check your moles every now & again.
The above is not difficult, just a bit tedious but so is weekly visits to the Cancer Unit of your local hospital so be careful!
www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk, www.cancer.gov, www.cancer.org.au, www.skincancer.org, www.skincancerfacts.org
For UV resistant rash vests: www.gul.com, www.nozoneuk.com,
 Discuss this feature
 Back to index page
|
