The sun is fun, but please beware

Sure it’s hot, and finding some good A/C would be great, but plenty of folks still want to worship at the altar of the sun. That’s OK, but beware — sun damage can be more than skin deep.

While on vacation, there's no need to feel the burn.

In my youth, I used to love lying out in the sun. Beach, lake, poolside, or even just mowing the lawn, as far as I was concerned, the more sun, the better. But then I got a call from my doctor. He’d been concerned about a spot on my back, so he removed it and sent it out for a biopsy. He needed to see me back in his office to discuss the results.

Gulp! Further excavation on my hide revealed the mole to be benign, but it sure put a serious damper on my sun worship. These days, I opt for shade when I can find it and serious sunscreen when I can’t.

On family vacations, heed the sun

The truth is, we are all aware that the sun can be damaging. Of course, when you’re young, you don’t dwell on the long-term damage the sun can inflict. But with a little knowledge, having fun in the sun doesn’t have to become a game of melanomaopoly.

In fact, knowing the difference between UVA and UVB rays can be a huge start.

UVA

UVA stands for Ultra Violet A (long-wave) rays. All UV rays from the sun have shorter wavelengths than visible light, thereby making them invisible to the naked eye. The shortest rays, known as UVC rays, are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer. As a result, they are not as big an issue as their UVA and UVB cousins. Until recently, it was only the UVB rays that had been considered dangerous. But now that’s changed.

We’re most familiar with UVA rays because they are the most common. In fact, they make up almost 95 percent of the radiation we encounter on a daily basis because they penetrate clouds and glass 12 months of the year. But we love UVA because it’s less intense, penetrates more deeply, and gives your skin that coveted deep, dark tan.

UVB

While it’s UVA that turns you brown as a coffee bean, it’s UVB that turns you red as a lobster. Spend a few hours out in the summer sun without some type of skin protection and the UVB rays will damage the layers of skin nearest the surface (what we all learned in biology is called the Epidermis). While the UVB gang is damaging the Epidermis, Team UVA is penetrating further, into the Dermis. UVB also bounces off reflective surfaces, regardless of temperature – one reason why it’s equally important to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing when doing anything around the water.

Skin protection a must on vacation

Now, it if was all about wrinkly, leathery skin as we age, that might be a cosmetic issue and a personal choice. But the damage can be much more significant and life-threatening. Yes, the “C” word is involved, as skin cancer is always a possibility. But you probably didn’t know that both UVA and UVB rays can affect premature aging of the skin and can cause damage to our immune system.

And it doesn’t have to be water activities where care must be taken. On a recent trip to Machu Picchu, we found ourselves much closer to the sun and our guides warned us of the UV dangers. The same was true on our trips to Egypt and Israel. And, quite frankly, a summertime trip across West Texas also posed an elevated threat level for skin damage due to UV rays.

Babies and small children need skin protection on vacation

Young skin, particularly babies and young children, require greater supervision with regard to skin care. I remember that I would escape my parents’ grasp and would disappear for hours to play in the sun. Moms and dads need to be more vigilant on family vacations and corral those kids for some serious SPF before they are let loose on the beach or by the pool.

Of course, you shouldn’t let fear rule your life. Get out and enjoy the sun. Just be smart about how you do it.

A little prevention sure beats getting that call from the doctor. Trust me on this.