Date: 31/10/2013

Author: Ingrid Katz (Pure Aesthetics)

South Africa has the 2nd highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, just behind Australia.

With reports of about 20,000 cases and 700 deaths each year, being sun smart is now a matter of saving yourself and your family.

We witness the reality of these stats every day at work. Did you know that almost 40% of Dr Doucas' surgeries are made up of skin lesion-related cases? (Dr Doucas is our resident Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon). Here's another interesting stat... Dr Nella Grilo, one of our preferred dermatologists, is booked up until July next year. 75% of her patients see her for suspicious moles & skin lesions. Sun damage is affecting too many of us in South Africa!

Our first defence against the sun is our skin, which produces the pigment melanin to protect itself from the sun. Darker skins have more melanin present and so take a little longer to "burn" when in the sun. However, that does not mean that darker skins are less likely to be damaged by the sun. The sun's rays are non-discriminatory!

UVA and UVB rays are the ones that we need to protect ourselves from and yes, they are different. UVA rays are active from the moment the sun rises to the moment it sets, even on a cloudy day. UVA are long wave rays and so penetrate much deeper – they get through glass and clothes, make up 95% of the sun's rays and are the ones most responsible for ageing. UVB are shorter rays and build up in strength as the day progresses, peaking between 12pm and 3pm. These rays are responsible for the burn or reddening / darkening of the skin that we experience and can speed up the development of skin cancers.

It should be noted that sun beds emit primarily UVA rays and that is why they are so damaging for the skin. A much safer alternative would be no sun at all or a spray tan. Spray tans vary in application and colours, so our advice would be to have a test patch done beforehand to see how the colour develops on your skin tone.

A good sunscreen is non-negotiable, to be worn every day and reapplied when you are outdoors for extended periods of time. A hat should also be worn at all times when outdoors. A good sunscreen must have UVA and UVB protection and should be around a SPF30 – SPF50. Don't put off having suspicious looking sun spots and moles checked by your doctor or dermatologist.

We recommend the Heliocare sun care range from Spain, with both UVA & UVB filters to protect and preserve the skin. It is suitable for all skin types and can be used on children. As well as filtering out the UVA & UVB rays, its advanced Fernblock technology also acts as an antioxidant to fight damaging free radicals. Heliocare is the only sun protection product to offer a capsule for people who need entire body protection against the sun.