Is sunbathing more dangerous than driving a car? Study questions

Sunbathing is probably more dangerous than driving cars, a new study has warned based on number of deaths caused by the two.

According to a study by spray tan company AURA, more people die due to skin cancer than those that die due to traffic accidents. The company arrived at the conclusion after comparing the number of deaths from skin cancer (melanoma) and car accidents in 12 countries including UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Australia registered the highest likelihood of dying of skin cancer compared to traffic accidents at 71 per cent, followed by Ireland at 40 per cent, Spain at 35 per cent, UK at 25 per cent, New Zealand and Switzerland at 12 per cent each and Germany at 7 per cent.

The numbers for skin cancer deaths as officially announced by respective agencies in the countries do not include skin cancer types such as basal and squamous cell carcinoma, and this means that the likelihood may be much more higher, AURA notes.

The statistics also reveal that more number of women are dying from skin cancer than men and experts are blaming the rise in number of women using tanning beds than men. Studies have shown that sunbeds are hotter than the midday Mediterranean sun and they may cause adverse effects on skin including skin cancer.

Dr. Rogerio Neves, deputy director of the Penn State Hershey Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, pegs artificial tanning as the major culprits for melanoma. According to currently available information, melanoma is now the second most common form of cancer found in women aged 20 to 30 years.

According to researchers, there has been an eightfold increase in the number of young women in that age bracket who have been diagnosed with melanoma. The numbers aren’t limited to just women as during the same period there has been a fourfold increase in melanoma in young men of the same age.

“Regardless the exact ratio, it is evident that skin cancer is a very relevant cause of death”, AURA notes in its research. “If you reflect at the mere numbers, you feel that when compared to traffic safety, skin safety is treated absolutely disproportionally in our daily lives.”

Lack of understanding about sunscreens to blame as well

Sunbathing and sunbeds (artificial tanning) may be responsible for increased instances of skin cancer; however, another hidden culprit is the lack of understanding about sunscreens.

A recent survey by Royal Pharmaceutical Society survey into sunscreen use has found a worrying lack of understanding about the degree of sun protection different products provide with only 8 per cent of those surveyed knowing that the SPF rating on the product label refers to protection from UVB rays only – and does not also include protection from harmful UVA rays – typically indicated by a separate ‘star’ rating.

Out of the 2,000 Britons who participated in the survey, nearly a quarter of the people didn’t know what the rating stood for while just over half of them thought the SPF was an indication of levels of protection from both UVB and UVA.

Further, less than a third of those surveyed said they always checked the UVA star rating when buying sunscreen (31 per cent), and 20 per cent of students and 15 per cent of adults with children in their household admitted that they never checked it.

Chief Scientist for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Professor Jayne Lawrence says that the survey is an indication of huge amount of confusion around sunscreen labelling that is a barrier to effective sun protection.

“Clearly many consumers do not realise the SPF rating applies only to the amount of protection offered against UVB rays, not UVA rays – both of which can damage the skin and cause skin cancer”, added Lawrence.

The RPS is calling for one uniform measure for all sun protection products, so pharmacists can provide easy to understand advice on the effectiveness of products and how they should be used.

Can’t recognise signs of skin cancer

Sunbathing cause sunburns and repeated instance of sunburns increase the risk of developing melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer. According to studies the risk of melanoma is more than doubled doubled in people with a history of sunburn compared with people who have never been sunburned.

Back in May, during the Sun Awareness Week the British Association of Dermatologists carried out a survey of over 1000 Brits and found that nearly three quarters of them (72 per cent) were sunburned last year thereby doubling their risk of skin cancer.

Johnathon Major of BAD says that the survey findings are shocking and as the Sun has already made its appearance in part of the UK, the number of people suffering from sun burns is likely to remain high this year as well. Major pegs this as a “reflection of poor sun protection habits” with people underestimating the dangers of sunburns and the damage they can do to their skin.

The concern about sunburns is valid owing to the fact that sunburns increase the risk of developing melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer. According to studies the risk of melanoma is more than doubled doubled in people with a history of sunburn compared with people who have never been sunburned.

The survey, which saw responses from 1,018 people, also found that 96 per cent people fail to check their skin the recommended once a month for skin cancer, and more than 77 per cent would not recognise signs of the disease.

“Rising skin cancer rates are a major health concern for the UK, and some dermatology departments are stretched to capacity trying to keep up with cases”, said Charlotte Proby, Professor of Dermatology at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, and Chair of the British Association of Dermatologists’ Skin Cancer Prevention Committee.

Proby added that though many people in the UK are aware about the dangers of sunburns, this awareness is yet to “translate into a culture of sun protection and skin checking”, which holds the potential of great impact on the overall problem by reducing the incidence and deaths from this disease.

Sun Protection Tips

Considering that sunburned people are at more than double risk of melanoma, staying away from the Sun or protection from sunlight goes miles in keeping you safe. There are some of the tips that will help you stay protected:

• Try and spend time in the shade during the sunniest part of the day – usually between 11 AM and 3 PM in the summer months.
• Avoid direct sun exposure for babies and very young children.
• When it is not possible to stay out of the sun, keeping yourself well covered, with a hat, T-shirt, and sunglasses can give you additional protection.
• Apply sunscreen liberally to exposed areas of skin. Re-apply every two hours and straight after swimming or towelling in order to maintain protection.

Ravi