When sunbathing is bad for your health – 09/03/2023 – Equilíbrio

Indoor tanning has been losing popularity, but many people still seek to tan in the sun. According to an analysis by the National Cancer Institute of the United States and data from the 2020 National Survey of Health Interviews, about 39% of women and 29% of men in the US intentionally sought to tan outdoors in the past year.

But, according to experts, although tanned skin may not hurt or peel, as it does when you get sunburned, it is still risky. “If skin could talk, it would say ‘ouch!’ when you tan,” said dermatologist Maral Skelsey of Georgetown University.

In fact, she explained, skin tans precisely because it has been injured. The extra pigmentation is the skin’s attempt to protect itself from further damage.

Tanning can lead to skin cancer and other problems

Sunburn has long been associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, but tanning also raises the risk, said Patricia Farris, a dermatologist in Metairie, Louisiana.

Sun tans and burns are caused by exposure to two types of ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays cause sunburn, and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays penetrate deeper and induce tanning. Both types of UV rays can cause DNA mutations that increase the risk of cancer, Farris said.

“When indoor tanning came into vogue, they said it could be done safely as long as you didn’t burn yourself,” she commented. “Almost immediately dermatologists began seeing younger and younger patients with skin cancers, especially melanoma.”

UVA radiation harms the skin in other ways, too, according to dermatologist Min Deng of MedStar Health in Chevy Chaise, Maryland. “There are a whole range of molecular consequences,” she said. In addition to directly damaging DNA, UVA radiation suppresses the immune system in ways that also increase the risk of cancer, she explained.

Another thing it does is age the skin: according to Farris, UVA rays help “break down collagen and elastin molecules, cause wrinkles and blemishes, and give the skin an aged look.”

What about vitamin D?

While it’s important to get enough vitamin D—adults ages 19 to 70 should aim to get 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day—people often have misconceptions about how this is done.

Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin after exposure to UVB sunlight. Most fair-skinned adults get enough vitamin D after spending up to ten minutes outdoors at noon in the spring and summer months, according to research.

Studies also suggest, Farris said, that sunscreens don’t significantly impair the body’s ability to make vitamin D from sun exposure.

If you have darker skin, your body may not be able to synthesize as much vitamin D from sunlight, so it’s safer to get it from foods like salmon, egg yolks, fortified milks and juices, and supplements, Skelsey said.

Older adults have a harder time synthesizing vitamin D than younger people, Skelsey said. Therefore, the older you are, the more you should think about eating foods rich in vitamin D or taking supplements.

How to safely sunbathe

To protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays, Skelsey said, it’s best to use a sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum.” The American Academy of Dermatology recommends SPF 30.

For darker-skinned people, Deng recommends tinted mineral sunscreens because the iron oxide they contain protects the skin against other wavelengths of light that can contribute to hyperpigmentation and other disorders common in darker skin.

“Darker-skinned patients can also get sunburn and develop skin cancers,” Deng said.

According to the dermatologist, most people use much less sunscreen than necessary. “They only apply a quarter of the layer thickness they should,” she said.

For proper coverage, apply 30 grams or about 30 ml of sunscreen over all exposed skin. If the sunscreen is a spray, Deng recommended spraying it a few inches from the skin and then rubbing it into the skin with your hands.

Most people also don’t reapply sunscreen often enough, Deng said. If you’re swimming, getting wet, or sweating, reapply sunscreen every hour, even if it’s waterproof. If you’re not getting wet, reapply every two hours.

The American Association of Dermatologists also recommends sun-protective clothing that is labeled as containing UPF, or ultraviolet protection factor. “Sun protection clothing, hats, umbrellas, sunglasses, tinted windows in cars all help,” Skelsey said.

Translated by Clara Allain