RSSKeep that skin safe this summer
for the Yakima Herald-Republic
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It's summer -- the time for back flips off the diving board, ice-cold Slurpees from 7-Eleven, and the banana-coconut scent that diffuses from tanning oils.
Many summer activities revolve around being outdoors. While teenagers are exposed to the sun's rays, they often forget about an important item that should be in everyone's swim bag: sunscreen.
The idea of a perfect "beach bod" typically consists of tan, golden-brown skin. And in the eyes of many teens, this look cannot be achieved by lubing up with loads of SPF 50.
Thirteen-year-old Alexa Farley, an eighth-grader at Yakima's St. Joseph-Marquette School, says she spends about 80 percent of her summer days outside in the sun. She also says she feels pressure to be tan.
"I lay out in the sun because people would stare at my white body that looks like a glow-stick and make fun of my whiteness," she says.
Thirteen-year-old Ashley Borello, an eighth-grader at Yakima's Riverside Christian School, calls herself a "pool rat" because she is at the pool in the sun pretty much all day every day in the summer.
"When I lay out in the sun I don't think I'm gonna look gross when I'm older and have cancer," she says. "I mean, everyone is gonna get wrinkles some day."
But being out in the sun can cause skin to burn. And the fear of pain from a sunburn -- plus persistent reminders from mom -- force some teens to wear sun block.
Twelve-year-old Dakota Rogers, a seventh-grader at West Valley Middle School, says, "I wear sunscreen because anytime I don't I get fried and look like a lobster."
When Rogers gets sunburned, which he says "feels like needles," he uses aloe vera, which feels cool and soothes the burn.
After getting many bad sunburns, wearing sunscreen has become a priority for 25-year-old Gretchen Kopp, a lifeguard for seven years. This is her first summer working at the Yakima Country Club pool.
She has two stepdaughters, ages 8 and 11, and she says she constantly reminds them not only to put on sunscreen, but to reapply it.
"I'll put sunscreen on them, and they'll jump in the pool and about an hour and a half later it'll be washed off," she says. "I always try to reapply because there is nothing worse than having your kid hurting with a sunburn."
Kopp says her girls don't typically like sunscreen until they get their first sunburn of the year: "Then they listen."
Sunlight, in reasonable doses, is good for people. The trouble begins with no protection and excessive exposure. UVB rays, dubbed the "burning rays," target the upper layers of skin, causing premature skin aging. UVA rays, referred to as the "silent killers," penetrate deeper and destroy the collagen matrix.
"The skin cells of a baby are healthy and look like a tightly woven basket, whereas someone who is older and has been exposed to the sun might have skin cells that look like scrambled eggs," says Michael Pehlke, a 62-year-old Yakima dermatologist.
Sunburn results when skin cells have been damaged or destroyed. In order to protect the skin from the sun's damaging rays, teens should put on sunscreen or sunblock. And, yes, there is a difference.
"Sunblock, just like its name, physically reflects or blocks the UVA and UVB radiation from the skin. Sunscreens actually absorb the ultraviolet radiation and give it off as heat," Pehlke says.
Sunblocks and sunscreens are rated with SPF numbers. SPF refers to the Sun Protection Factor for UVB rays only. A sunscreen with SPF 15 will delay sunburn from occurring for 15 times longer than if you used no protection at all. For example, if it takes a teen 20 minutes to sunburn and he or she applied a sunscreen with SPF 15, the teen would be able to remain in the sun for 300 minutes, or 15 times 20.
"However, you should still reapply every three to four hours because most sunscreens only last that long anyways," says 33-year-old Jason Berremah, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. He sees up to 30 people a week with all types of skin cancer.
Even one or two severe sunburns can increase the risk for melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. But sunscreen can prevent skin from burning, help keep it looking healthy and minimize the risk of getting skin cancer.
Skin care tips
n Lycopene boosts skin's natural SPF. You can get it from red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava.
n It's best to apply sunscreen a half-hour before going outside.
n Sunscreen is not capable of blocking all UVA or UVB rays. The ultraviolet rays still can penetrate in the shade. And you can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day.
n Aspirin, refrigerated moisturizers and aloe vera can help soothe a sunburn.
n No sunscreen is truly waterproof. However, sunscreens can be water resistant and need to be reapplied every few hours or according to the manufacturer's instructions.
n No sunscreen really provides all-day protection. Even with a sun protection factor of 50 or more, you should still reapply it every two hours, or sooner if you have been in the water or sweating a lot.
n Sunscreen should be applied generously on all parts of the body that are exposed to sunlight. At least 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) should be enough to cover those areas. Be sure your neck, ears and the tops and bottoms of your feet are covered as well.
n Sunscreen expires and should be used up every three years.
Source: Yakima dermatologist Michael Pehlke
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