Sun and skin

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Sun and skin

Most people enjoy the sun. But too much exposure to the sun can lead to serious skin damage in the long term.

Sun is indispensable

The sun is not only food for the soul, but also important, for example, for the formation of vitamin D, which the body needs for bone formation. For this purpose, however, it is sufficient to expose the face, hands and arms to the sun unprotected for a short time two to three times a week. For a short time, this means about half the time you would get sunburn without sun protection (half the so-called minimum sunburn effective UV dose, 0.5 MED). For skin type II this would mean about 12 minutes in strong sunlight (UV index 7). Sunburn should of course always be avoided.

Sun tan – a dangerous beauty >Sun tanned skin – a beauty ideal widespread in our time – is part of an attractive appearance. It is above all this ideal of beauty that leads to people repeatedly exposing themselves to intensive sunlight in their leisure time and on their holiday trips or acquiring a supposedly healthy tan in solariums.

Even at the beginning of the last century, brown skin was still considered a characteristic of poorer strata, which had to earn their living by working in the fields, for example. The “noble pallor”, on the other hand, was a sign of the bourgeois class. Common beauty standards of our time show exactly the opposite picture: A tanned body is perceived as beautiful and healthy. It is regarded as an expression of a lifestyle characterized by a lot of leisure time and frequent travel.

It is only slowly becoming clear that a high level of exposure to the sun greatly increases the risk of developing skin cancer.

The skin does not “forget

Studies have shown that people suffering from skin cancer were heavily exposed to the sun during their first years of life. Since children’s skin is particularly sensitive, even a single bad sunburn could be the cause of a disease in later life.

Even a short stay in the blazing sun can cause sunburn in endangered people. Of course, not every sunburn automatically causes skin cancer and, as a rule, skin redness and sunburn heal after a short time. But the skin does not “forget”. Any excess of UV radiation, i.e. any redness of the skin and any sunburn, can change the cell structure of the skin. The more frequently this damage occurs, the higher the risk of skin cancer developing later in life.

Precautionary measures can and should therefore be taken, especially in childhood, as studies show that 80 percent of UV radiation is absorbed in childhood and adolescence. Just a few precautions are enough to protect your child from the dangerous sides of the sun’s rays.

Specific risk factors

The sensitivity of the skin to sunburn varies depending on the skin type. The risk of developing skin cancer is also determined by other individual factors. These include the type and number of pigment moles (moles) as well as a high incidence of skin cancer within the family. Studies have shown that the more light-skinned people are, the higher the risk of developing skin cancer. In Europe, for example, the highest incidence of skin cancer is found among men in Sweden and Denmark, and among women in Ireland and Sweden. People from Greece and Portugal are the least likely to develop skin cancer.

There are different types of skin cancer

Skin cancer is a disease that occurs in various forms. The two most common skin tumours are basalioma and squamous cell carcinoma. Both types of disease are primarily a direct result of excessive UV radiation. Therefore, they occur mainly in the parts of the body that are most exposed to the sun. These are mainly the scalp, face and ears. However, shoulders, back, breasts, buttocks, legs and the back of the feet also react sensitively to sunlight.

Basal cell carcinoma is by far the most common, followed by squamous cell carcinoma with about 20 percent of the patients. Both forms are usually curable and lead to death in rather rare cases. The most dangerous form of skin cancer, however, is malignant melanoma, the so-called “black skin cancer”. Since the 1970s, the incidence rates in Germany have increased almost sixfold. In 2000, for example, approximately 11,500 people in Germany contracted malignant melanoma. More than a quarter of all patients die of this type of cancer. If the cancer is detected and treated early enough, there is a good chance that it can be cured. In the case of malignant melanomas, it is also assumed that strong exposure to sunlight, especially in childhood, increases the risk of developing the disease.

Since malignant melanomas often develop from pigmentation marks, you should – in addition to sufficient sun protection – monitor your own skin and that of your child again and again for changes. This also applies to areas that you usually do not look at, such as the soles of your feet.

Skin observation according to the A-B-C-D rule

For early detection, pigment marks should be checked according to the A-B-C-D rule:

A = asymmetry, i.e. a pigment mark has an irregular shape.

B = boundary, a pigment mark running out at the edges.

C = Colour, the pigment mark has lighter and darker areas.

D = diameter, all pigment marks whose diameter is greater than five millimetres should be observed.

If you notice any of the A-B-C-D characteristics described above on moles, birthmarks or freckles, or if they change, itch or bleed, they should be examined by a specialist. Other itchy or bleeding skin changes that have not healed within six weeks, or reddish, sandpaper-like discolorations of the skin, should also be reported to a specialist.

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Christina Cherry
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