Melani rushed into the war room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her, holding their breath. She could see in the change of their expressions that they knew what she was going to say. She took and breath and let it out, “she’s at the beach!”. The alarm sounded and everyone scrambled to their assigned task. Melani slumped into the chair, exhausted. With the change of seasons, the battles were increasing in frequency. Melani knew what their role was, but she wished that Alex, their host, would take the precautions against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) that she advised. Maybe today would be the day… No, she thought to herself, we can’t rely on Alex, our defenses have to hold. She thought of the outer perimeter of the skin barrier, the epidermis, where Melani and her team were stationed. It was a great physical barrier. Melani was in charge of a team of melanocytes, whose job it was to produce melanin that would then help to absorb ultraviolet B (UVB) light, helping to prevent the radiation from passing through the dermis and hypodermis, the inner perimeters of the skin barrier. Someone entered the room, and she snapped back to the present, “do you have something to report?” The young melanocyte smiled, “we’re in the all clear ma’am, the weather changed, it started to rain. Alex is heading back home”.
That evening, while writing up the daily report, she decided to include her suggestions for skin protection again. With the host’s help, there was hope to win the war.
May is skin cancer awareness month. It is also the start of warmer weather and sunnier days. That being said we have a few blog posts coming out this month about sun and skin safety.
Sun Safety Tip #1
Seek the shade! Especially when the sun is at it’s hottest (10am-4pm).
- Wear your new hat
- Try that parasol
- Read a book under the shade of a tree
- Have lunch in the gazebo
Sun Safety Tip #2
Cover up. A lot of new clothing is designed for increased coverage of skin, while being breathable (and fashionable) so you can enjoy outdoor activities without overheating.
- These clothes will talk about ultraviolet protection factor (UPF rating)
- UPF rating 15-24 –> good protection, 93.3-95.9% of UVR blocked
- UPF rating 25-39 –> very good protection, 96.0-97.4% UVR blocked
- UPF rating 40-50 –> excellent protection, 97.5% or more UVR blocked
- Keep in mind the “hole effect”. All woven fabric have holed between the threads. The tighter the weave, the better protection. These holes can increase in size, however, if the clothing becomes worn out, is tight fitting, or becomes wet. This will decrease the protection.
Resources
Skin Cancer Foundation
Canadian Dermatology Association