Take it from someone who has been there – getting a diagnosis of malignant melanoma makes you feel like an idiot. Most cases of skin cancer are preventable; when I was diagnosed in 2008, I looked back at all the time I spent working on my tan each summer and could just cringe. Since finding out that the shiny pink bump on my forearm was melanoma, sun protection has become a topic of constant concern. I have learned to be prepared at all times. As a result, I have come to rely on hats and clothing, rather than sunscreen, as my primary method of sun protection. Clothing created using ultraviolet radiation (UVR) protective fabrics, with long sleeves and hoods or high collars, provides a shield that is not only reliable, but cool and comfortable. UPF clothing should be your primary choice for sun protection.
According to the US Surgeon General, “the number of Americans who have had skin cancer at some point in the last three decades is estimated to be higher than the number for all other cancers combined” (HHS 2014). In 1992, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its Agenda 21, a monograph that officially recognizes the ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure and the resulting impact on human health as an urgent concern. WHO created the INTERSUN Programme in order to increase scientific understanding and public awareness on the health effects of UVR. Nations around the world became interested in the “factors that affect the UVR protection provided by fabrics and garments” for both general and special populations (Gies, 2007, p. 264). Scientific research led to the development of lightweight sun protective fabrics as well as to a rating system, the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). The first scientific standard “covering clothing and UVR protection was issued in Australian and New Zealand in July 1996” (Gies, 2007, p. 269) with the United States following in 2000 and 2001.
Clothing made with UPF fabric is, besides avoiding the sun all together, the most reliable form of sun protection. Where sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes prior to sun exposure, a shirt, hat, or jacket is always ready to go. Sunscreen wears off over time due to sweat, water and sand exposure, and toweling. UPF garments maintain a constant level of protection throughout the day. Sunscreen must be applied thoroughly and uniformly over difficult to reach areas of your body. Sun protective clothing includes features specifically designed to protect these tricky areas. Hoodies, the most useful and adaptable of sun protection garments in my opinion, protect your head, ears, and neck. Shirts or sun jackets can come with high collars or flaps to protect your neck and long sleeves with thumb holes to protect your wrists as well as your arms. Accessories such as buffs, scarves, and gloves are able to adapt to a variety of exposure situations.
UPF clothing keeps you cool and comfortable. Where sunscreen can leave you feeling sticky or greasy, UPF clothing avoids this scenario. Today’s technical fabrics are designed to wick away sweat and to dry quickly. Some materials, such as Ex Officio’s Sol Cool fabric and Columbia Sportswear’s Omni Freeze technology, actually make your skin feel a few degrees cooler. Sun protective garments have no toxicity issues, unlike sunscreens that use chemicals to absorb UVR; most of these chemicals are suspected hormone disruptors and are known to damage coral reefs. Sunscreens containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which work as physical barriers to UVR, often leave a white film over your skin.
Since
being diagnosed with Stage 2 melanoma I have learned the importance of constant
year-round sun protection. Sunscreen does not provide the reliability or
flexibility that I require to be confident that I am not exposing my skin to
ultraviolet radiation. Based on this experience, I encourage you to choose UPF
garments and hats over sunscreen lotion as your primary method of sun
protection.
References
Gies, P. (2007). Photoprotection by clothing. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 23(6), 264–274. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0781.2007.00309.x
HHS Office of the Secretary. (2014, July 28). Surgeon General Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer: Exec Summ. Retrieved May 26, 2019, from https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/skin-cancer/executive-summary/index.html#ref1
INTERSUN Programme. (2017, October 16). Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.who.int/uv/intersunprogramme/en/