HEALTH:
Rays away

Fighting the cancer star with creams, clothes, accessories and common sense

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

“Sun is bad for you. Everything our parents said was good is bad. Sun, milk, red meat, college…” It’s frightening when Woody Allen’s neuroses predict the future. That was some dialogue from Allen’s film Annie Hall, and his claims may have sounded far out in 1978, but they’re ringing truer and truer every ozone-depleted, chemically-treated, cow-mad day a quarter of a century later (let’s not touch the harmful effects of college, that’s a whole other article).

Yes, the bell is tolling for the one in six Canadians and one in five Americans who will contract fatal and non-fatal skin cancers from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Dermatologists insist that these numbers would be 60 to 70 per cent lower if everyone simply protected themselves properly, so here are some essential, practical, fashionable and neurotic ways to fight the cancer star.

The Redford factor

If you cling to the idea that sunbathing is safe, you’re not only inviting cancer, but you’re in for a leathery future. Think of Robert Redford next time you climb onto a tanning bed or fall asleep on the mountain.

For many people, however, prolonged sun exposure isn’t a choice but an occupational hazard or side effect of outdoor activities. Try to avoid exposure during the sun’s peak hours, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., stay in the shade if possible, and listen to UV ratings on local weather reports so you can prep accordingly.

Everyone who soaks up the rays for over a half-hour on hot days should wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, depending on your skin type, and re-apply the lotion every two hours. Many sunscreen lines also offer a longer lasting “dry” or “sports” formula for people planning to sweat. And sunburn-prone white folks, particularly the freckled kind, should be especially vigilant, as should new parents. Babies are extra sensitive to sun but their skin is sensitive too, so zinc creams and mild sunscreens made for kids are suggested.

Prevention is always preferable to repair, but it’s worth noting that scientists at Applied Genetics Inc. Dermatics in Freeport, New York, have recently concocted a “morning after” lotion that repairs sunburned skin, therefore reducing or even eliminating future skin cancer development. However, the lotion is still in the experimental phase so its cost and potential side effects are unknown.

It’s getting hot out here

Nelly’s mantra doesn’t fly in the sun. If anything, you can reject the harmful rays and feel more comfortable by putting on more clothes, as we see in India, Africa, the Middle East and other hot regions.

Taliban ladies’ fashion isn’t necessarily recommended for everyday wear (or border crossings), but there’s something to be learned from burkhas, hijabs, jilbabs, daishikis, sarees and sarongs. However, dark colours attract heat and heavy fabrics trap it, so goths and rock ’n’ rollers aren’t so cool come summertime—although sunglasses, most of which now have UV protection, are a must, so stick with those shades.

Which brings us to hats. Even if you’re not into the Justin and J-Lo fedora, there’s your classic baseball cap, cowboy hat, unisex straw or camping hats, not to mention the elegant, wide-brimmed ladies’ hats that can still be bought in downtown department stores. Another cute, colourful and cheap option for the gals (or brave guys) is parasols, widely available in Chinatown or other Chinese-centric stores for under $10.

Undercover

Clothes, hats, accessories. It’s all fun and games until cancer comes a-knockin’, which is why the Kingston, Ontario-based Sun Protective Clothing company (www.sunprotectiveclothing.com) has gone one step further. Ron and Dawn Griffiths founded the company in ’96 after Ron was diagnosed with melanoma. They sell dresses, shirts, pants, hats, sportswear and accessories made with a UV-protective fabric called SolarWeave, claiming that common cottons and other “summerweight” fabrics allow 50 per cent of harmful rays through to the skin. Similar companies accessible online include No Zone (www.nozone.ca) and, for the tykes, Sun Sense (www.sunsense.net) and Solar Wear (www.solarwear.com). Enjoy the summer safely.