Skin cancer risk under the Mediterranean sun

Higher skin cancer risk under the Mediterranean sun

30.06.2013

The holiday season has begun and many Germans are attracted to the Mediterranean or other southern climes. But sunbathers should be careful, because the stronger the radiation, the greater the risk of sunburn. This also increases the risk of skin cancer. However, if you take the advice of experts, you can minimize the risks.

Every fifth citizen affected
Every fifth German citizen will suffer from skin cancer in the course of his life, according to a study by the Charité Skin Cancer Center in Berlin. Every year about 250,000 new cases of early onset skin cancer and 15,000 of black skin cancer are assumed. Jessica Hassel, director of the dermatological outpatient department at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg, says that it is a misconception that the sun is beneficial to the psyche: „That's only true for people with real depression.“ But if some safety precautions are taken, there is nothing wrong with recovering in the sun.

Unprotected in the sun is the most common cause of skin cancer
The most common and important cause of skin cancer is the habit of staying in the sun unprotected. Other factors also play a role, such as skin type, hereditary preload or number of moles, but sunbathing is at the top of the risk scale. Above all, the number of sunburns before the age of 15 years is significant, since the skin is then significantly more damaged. A survey by the European Skin Cancer Foundation „European Skin Cancer Foundation“ According to the ESCF, one in five kindergarten children has suffered from a sunburn once in their lifetime. Beate Volkmer, cell biologist at the Dermatological Center Buxtehude and member of the Dermatological Prevention Working Group stated: „Children's skin is not only gentler but also differently structured than the skin of adults: the cells relevant for the development of skin cancer lie closer to the surface.“

High sun protection factor especially for fair-skinned people
How long you can expose yourself to the sun depends, among other things, on the skin type and the sunscreen used. For example, the skin under the Mediterranean sun reddens with white-skinned, red-haired people after five to ten minutes, with light blondes after ten to 20 minutes, and darker skin types can spend up to half an hour unprotected in the sun. When sunbathing sunscreen is generally advised. Of particular importance is the sun protection factor. For example, if one skin reddens after ten minutes, an SPF of 30 would increase the amount of time it can spend in sunlight by thirty times, or five hours. „We recommend not exhausting this maximum time, but to settle for about 60 percent“, says Beate Volkmer.

Avoid midday heat and also protect in the shade
At midday, the UV radiation is most intense between 11am and 3pm, so you should stay in the shade or in the rooms. You can also protect yourself with a hat and light clothing. Polyester and blends of polyester followed by wool, silk and nylon offer much better protection than cotton, linen or viscose. Dark colors seem to be able to effectively block harmful radiation. Even in the shade, do not forget to protect yourself, as even up to 70 percent of UV radiation reaches the skin.

Quality does not have to be expensive
To protect yourself from sunburn, you should not be frugal when using sunscreen. For an adult, about three tablespoons are needed per cream. Every two hours or after swimming, drying or heavy sweating you need a refresher. Caution is advised in the total time spent in the sun. Re-creaming does not prolong it, it starts with the first layer of cream and depends on factors such as sun protection factor or skin type. You do not have to resort to expensive products in order to get creamed often enough. Current tests carried out by Stiftung Warentest have shown that low-priced sunscreen products performed particularly well.

Sunscreen alone does not prevent skin cancer
Skin cancer experts, such as Mrs. Volkmer see sunscreen only in third place, to avoid skin damage by the sun. Shades and clothing would be ranked higher up. She does mean: „Sunscreens have proven to be very good cancer protection in the laboratory.“ However, various studies have shown that they do not meet this requirement in practice. This could be related to the fact that the required amount of cream of at least 40 milliliters per creaming every two hours in everyday life is not implemented.

Do not be reckless
When you're on the beach, it's normal for most people to get creamed. However, some do not consider that even in the water sunburn lurks. The solar radiation is reflected in the water and intensified. It is often noticed too late in the cool wet, how irritated the skin is already. The use of sunscreen also causes some users to extend the sunbathing beyond time, which would be safe. From this, scientists also explained the more common melanomas. The weather in Germany apparently also contributes to the careless handling of the sun. According to a survey, families on holiday would be eager to cream and pay special attention to the children. At home in their own garden or on the playground, many would be too careless about it. (Ad)