Several days of clear sky and high temperatures are in the forecast in the southeast, and with the weekend on the horizon, there's no doubt that we are all going to get our fair share of sunshine.
Dr. Jasmine Hasselback, chair of Sun Smart Saskatchewan, sheds some light on the questions people have when the UV index soars.
Q: Do you need to burn to develop a tan?
A: Research shows that you do not need to burn to develop a tan. Burning damages your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer, premature aging, and other skin issues, without providing any additional or "better" tanning effects.
Here's what the science says:
- Tanning is a sign of skin damage - A tan occurs because your skin produces more melanin in response to UV radiation. This is your body’s attempt to protect skin cells from further DNA damage. So, whether you burn or not, any tan is evidence of UV-induced damage.
- Burning increases the harm - Sunburn causes acute inflammation and more severe DNA damage than tanning alone. Repeated sunburns — especially in childhood or early adulthood — significantly increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
- Tanning without burning is still harmful - While people may perceive a "base tan" or gradual tan as safer, there is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan from UV exposure. The Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, Canadian Dermatology Association, and the World Health Organization all state that UV tanning increases skin cancer risk.
- Skin tone matters - People with lighter skin are more prone to burning, while those with darker skin may tan more easily without visible burn. However, UV damage can occur regardless of skin type, and even if a burn isn't visible, cellular damage can still happen.
The bottom line is that both burning and tanning are signs of skin damage. The safest approach is to protect your skin from excessive UV exposure using broad-spectrum sunscreen, clothing, shade, and avoiding tanning beds.
Q: Does a tan provide any protection from the sun?
A: As mentioned earlier, tanning is your body’s defence mechanism in response to UV-induced skin damage. That means once a tan is present, it’s a sign of sun damage. A natural tan provides an equivalent of SPF 2-4, which only blocks about 50-75 per cent of UVB rays. In comparison, sunscreen with SPF 30 blocks 97 per cent of UVB rays.
A tan does not protect against UVA rays, as these penetrate deeper into the skin and contribute to premature aging and skin cancer.
This is why a tan is not considered effective sun protection. A tan can lull people into a false sense of security that they are being protected when that is not the case. What’s true is that tanning, especially using tanning beds, significantly increases the risk for skin cancer over time. Better protection methods include broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 and higher; protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses; seeking shade, especially during high UV index hours (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.); and avoiding tanning beds.
Q: What is the UV Index, and what do the different levels mean?
A: The UV index is a scale that measures the strength of ultraviolet radiation from the sun at a specific place and time. The purpose of the UV index is to help people understand their level of risk of sunburns and skin damage and take protective action. Generally, the UV index ranges from 0-11+, and the risk is divided into low, moderate, high, very high, and extreme based on the intensity of UV exposure. The protective action recommended also increases based on the level of risk.
Some factors contribute to variations in the UV index from place to place, such as the time of day (it's usually highest between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); the season (highest during summer months); latitude (higher in places nearer to the equator); and altitude (higher altitudes have stronger UV); reflection (snow, sand and water, and to a lesser extent concrete, reflect UV rays which increases exposure).
Q: How long does it take to damage skin in direct sunlight?
A: Sun damage from direct sunlight can begin in as little as 10-15 minutes, but this is dependent on several factors, including skin type.
The Fitzgerald Scale is used to describe skin by its reaction to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, specifically how it tans or burns. It ranges from type 1-6; 1 being very fair, pale white, and 6 being deeply pigmented, dark brown skin.
Let’s use a UV Index of 8-10, for example, Type 1 skin can burn with as little as 10 minutes of exposure; Type 2 would burn after 20 minutes, and Type 3 after about half an hour. It's important to note that types 4-6 skin types, which have more melanin, would take longer to burn (45+ minutes) or not burn any at all, but would still experience cellular damage from UVA.
Just a bit more about sun damage and UV rays- two types of UV rays affect our skin: UVA penetrates deeply into the skin, and contributes to premature aging and skin cancer, while UVB affects the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and is the primary cause of sunburns.
UVA represents 95% of the UV that gets to the Earth, and UVB represents the rest, so while we focus a lot on the visible damage seen in the form of sunburns, we should also be very concerned about the deeper DNA damage that is not always associated with a visible sunburn. This is why Sun Smart Saskatchewan recommends appropriate prevention methods.
- Slip on sun protection clothing
- Slide on sunglasses labelled “UV400” or “UV protection”
- Slap on a broad-brimmed hat
- Seek shade, especially during the high UV index times.
- Slop on a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB, reapplying every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating. Use SPF 30 or higher for UVB protection
For more information about Skin Cancer prevention, visit the Sun Smart Saskatchewan website at sunsmartsk.ca and saskcancer.ca.