Great Pains: Overexposure to sun’s rays poses dangerous consequences

Monday, July 1, 2002 | 8:40 a.m.

Sun-safe skin tips

Maureen Young wasn't yet 30 years old when the dry, scaly patch appeared on her face.

It would bleed, scab, appear to heal, then return.

Considering her history, Young had a pretty good idea what it was.

As a child the Las Vegan had spent time with her family vacationing at the beaches in San Diego. Though her parents oiled her up in Coppertone, Young was often lobster-red by the end of the day.

During her teenage years the fair-skinned Young would sunbathe around the family swimming pool.

So when the doctor told her 20 years ago she had basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, she wasn't surprised.

Since then Young, now 49, has had 10 cancerous growths removed from her chest, shoulder, face and arms.

She still spends ample time outdoors with her family, but covers herself with hats and long-sleeved shirts and douses herself with sunscreen. Sunbathing is out of the question.

"I'm so pale I look like I just crawled out of the center of the Earth," Young said with a laugh.

But, she added, "It gets your attention, when they start chopping away at your face."

Suntanning is one of the great contradictions of summer. It's one of the greatest contributors to wrinkles and is directly linked to skin cancer, yet people still say that they sunbathe to look healthy and beautiful.

"Young people want to look beautiful so much that they'll take a chance on skin cancer and aging," said Rex Amonette, professor of dermatology at the University of Tennessee and past president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

"We make better inroads with the threat of aging," he added. "That's a greater fear."

As temperatures soar, pools beckon and summer vacations are planned, dermatologists are hoping anyone who ventures outdoors will heed their warnings and cover up -- even when running errands during the day.

"On the average, I probably take off 10 to 15 skin cancers every day from people who have gotten too much sun in their life," said Dr. Lucius Blanchard of Las Vegas Skin & Cancer Clinics.

"We've always said, 'Pale is beautiful.' I'm not sure they believe us."

Tanning and tumors

But considering the statistics of sun-caused skin cancer, Blanchard would like people to at least consider staying out of the sun.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a national and international organization based in New York, more than 1 million Americans are afflicted each year with basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas, which are often treatable through surgery.

And according to the American Cancer Society, more than 50,000 cases of melanoma, the most fatal of skin cancer, are reported each year.

Melanoma is nearly 100-percent curable if caught early enough. Every hour across the country, however, someone dies from the cancer.

"The rate of melanoma is the fastest-growing type of cancer," Blanchard said.

In the 1930s one in 3,000 people suffered from melanoma, he said. Today it affects one in 70.

Developing cancer from sun exposure is often a delayed reaction. Those who sunbathe in their teens and who are susceptible to skin cancer will begin developing the cancer when they are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, doctors say.

Most people are exposed to the greatest amount of sun before they turn 18. Fair-skinned people with light-colored hair are most at risk for sun-related cancer.

Regardless of skin type, the American Academy of Dermatology encourages everyone to apply sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor of 15.

"All tans are damaging no matter how dark your skin is," Amonette said. "There really is no safe tan."

Tendency to tan

Tanning is the skin's defense mechanism for protecting itself, by producing more pigment after UV rays have entered the skin.

"There are some people who don't quite understand that the tan comes after the damage has been done," Blanchard said. "We see many of those California girls who have significant brown spots, cancers and (signs of) aging."

Tanning became popular during the 1920s after designer Coco Chanel obtained a suntan while vacationing on the French Riviera.

The (possibly incidental) tan turned the tanned look into a signature of the vacationing wealthy. Prior to that, tanned skin was a sign of manual labor and pale skin was thought to symbolize wealth.

"Each generation since then has gone more to the sunlight," Amonette said "And the clothes have gotten skimpier and skimpier.

"You'd think that once the person gets the skin cancer that would be the end of the heavy tanning. But that isn't the case."

Tanning beds are still scoffed at by many dermatologists, who say the exposure from the beds is worse than exposure from the sun.

Local doctors say that incidental exposure is something that people should be aware of, especially in Las Vegas where it's sunny throughout the year. Valley residents are exposed to the sun and its damage when running errands, doing yardwork or sitting in their cars, said Greg Wastek, a doctor at West Dermatology on West Lake Mead Boulevard.

"I don't think people think about that," he said.

For fair-skinned people, Wastek said, "The best thing is to avoid the sun to begin with. But that's not practical."

A good habit to get into is to apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 before leaving the house, he said. Those who are heading to the beach or other outdoor events should be armed with plenty of lotion.

"A 15 is fine if you apply it every hour or two," Wastek said. "Just putting it on once and thinking you're protected doesn't work."

Though skin cancer is more common in the older population, Wastek said he is seeing more cases of skin cancer in people who are in their 20s and 30s. This is possibly due to the ozone layers thinning, creating more intense ultraviolet light, he said.

But, he added, "With a lot of people it depends on their genetic predisposition and whether they have a history of skin cancer in their family."

Alternatives, awareness

Fortunately for those who want the tanned look without exposure to UV rays (especially this year with the popularity of the bronze look in fashion magazines), cosmetic companies such as Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown and Neutrogena continue to produce more effective sunless-tan products.

Dermatologists say bottled tanning products are a safe alternative for those who want to be tan but don't want sun exposure. Blanchard sells a sunless tan product at his office.

Young says that she has been wearing sunless-tan products ever since she was first diagnosed with skin cancer.

She has been a victim of the streaking orange-colored "bottle tans," but has seen the products improve. She now applies Estee Lauder's Sunless Supertan to her arms and legs during the summer.

"It's a golden tan," Young said. "It's actually a prettier color tan than when I tanned. You just have to be really careful putting it on so it goes on evenly."

Amonette said that with all the attention drawn to skin cancer, the future looks hopeful.

"People are starting to listen," he said "Adults aren't protecting themselves as they should. But they really are protecting their children.

"That's what will pay off, when we roll into the next generation. Children under 10 is where our hope is."

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