I ’ m only going out for a drive .
Most cars ’ front windshields are tinted to block out UV rays . Not so the side windows . Jung has even written prescriptions for certain patients to get tinted treatments on all their car windows .
“ One of the most common incidents of skin cancer are on truck drivers ’ left sides ,” she said . “ They roll the driver ’ s side window down and hang their arm out . But even with the window closed , their left arm and hand and left side of their face are exposed .”
I ’ ll be wearing a hat .
“ The average baseball cap won ’ t protect your ears or the back of your neck ,” said Jung . “ Even those nice , wide-brim sun hats are designed more for fashion than for protection . They have an open weave , which of course invites the sun ’ s rays right in .”
It ’ s not a sunny day .
Then there are fewer UV rays in the air , said Jung , but they ’ re still there – and they ’ ll still burn your skin .
“ They ’ re especially dangerous because if you don ’ t feel so hot , you ’ re inclined to stay outside longer .”
It ’ s cool out .
“ Air temperature is not the issue if the sun ’ s out ,” Jung noted . “ Skiers get horrible sunburns .”
I ’ ll be wearing clothes – head to foot .
First of all , Jung said , few people cover themselves head to foot on a hot summer day . And while clothing is a much better screening agent than sun block – for one thing , you don ’ t have to keep reapplying it – she said not all clothing will protect you in the same way .
“ Some clothing lines are specifically treated with a UV protectant and also woven in such a way as to keep UV light from getting through . They ’ re specifically designated as UPF 50 .”
UPF is a rating that indicates a garment ’ s effectiveness against UVA and UVB rays . By comparison , an average T-shirt has a UPF rating of 7 .
Jung said hunters and fishermen knew about this a long time ago , so these lines of clothing have been available for a while at specialty outdoor sporting goods stores like Dick ’ s , Cabela ’ s , Bass
Pro and REI .
A variety of web sites specialize in these clothing lines , too – www . coolibar . com , www . uvskinz . com , www . cabanalife . com , www . shedolane . com and www . sunprecautions . com are just a few of the sites that come up by Googling “ sun protective clothing .”
These are full lines of clothing , from robes and shifts to swimwear . Coolibar claims it is “ the first company to receive the Skin Cancer Foundation ’ s Seal of Recommendation for sun protective clothing .”
I ’ ve never gotten a sunburn .
Jung acknowledged that there is a range of skin pigmentation rated on its risk of becoming cancerous . It ’ s called The Fitzpatrick scale , Jung explained , “ and it runs from 1 , always burns , never tans – albinos would be the most extreme example – to 6 , never burns , always tans – the darkest-skinned person from sub-Sahara Africa .
“ Everybody else is in between . The average Caucasian of Irish ancestry would probably be a 2 – pretty much always burns , never really tans .”
However , Jung said , never having burned is no guarantee of healthy skin .
“ We believe the amount of UV damage you get in childhood actually affects your risk of melanoma at an older age ,” she said . “ The risk of all skin cancer will increase with age and with UV damage . Every time ultraviolet radiation hits your cells , there ’ s a chance it can mutate . Accumulate enough mutations and you ’ ll get a cancer .”
My doctor said I need sunlight to get my Vitamin D level up .
“ That makes me crazy ,” said Jung . “ Someone decided that 80 percent of the U . S . population has decreased Vitamin D levels , and low Vitamin D leads to disease . More and more , though , there ’ s research that says having a disease leads to low Vitamin D levels , not vice versa .”
However , she said , there are lots of other sources for Vitamin D . “ Your body can ’ t tell the difference between Vitamin D from a chewable supplement and Vitamin D that ’ s absorbed by your skin from sunlight – but your skin can tell the difference .”
I ’ m in my 60s . I spent years in the sun and never had a problem . I imagine I ’ m immune by now .
If only . Jung said the dry , leathery skin so many people get after years in the sun is all evidence of skin damage “ and likely pre-cancerous .”
There ’ s also , she pointed out , the lifestyle nature of people who grew up in the 1940s , 50s and 60s , feeling it was okay to lather on baby oil or iodine and sit for hours with a reflector under their chins . “ Those people did untold damage that may only now be coming back to haunt them .”
So , I ’ m doomed . Not necessarily at all , said Jung . “ The ‘ beauty ’ of skin cancer is that you can see it ,” she said . “ Going to a dermatologist regularly and getting a thorough skin exam is the best way to deal with skin cancer . If you catch it early , it ’ s 100 percent curable .”
Self-examinations are an excellent way to evaluate your risk , but while a melanoma is relatively easy to spot , Jung said [ a ] people don ’ t always know what to look for ; or [ b ] they know exactly what to look for but are in denial and don ’ t seek treatment .
Unfortunately , she said , you can ’ t count on your general practitioner to do a thorough skin exam . It ’ s not a billable service . “ The American Academy of Dermatology is working hard to get skin exams coded , like mammograms and colonoscopies , to prove that a general skin screening would lead to a reduction in patient deaths .”
Then I ’ m locking my door and drawing my drapes until November .
Don ’ t do that , Jung said . There is much to be gained from being outdoors when the weather is nice . Your mood elevates . You generate endorphins . You get good exercise and stay active . You swim and run , walk and play tennis or golf . You socialize with others much more during the summer months .
Just know your risks and how to protect yourself . Understand that white surfaces – sand , concrete , the bottom of swimming pools – are more intense sun-reflectors . Rethink the things you thought about protective hats and clothing .
Put all that medical and cancer research to work for you . And make your dermatologist a part of your life .
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