I have had a lot of parents ask me about sunscreen for their children. Which one is safest? The best for kids with allergies? Do they actually work?
I have discovered that wearing sunscreen actually is harmful to your health.
This article below presents a scary perspective.
Skin cancer afflicts 1 million Americans each year—an incidence almost equal to all other cancers combined—and the rate has been climbing sharply. For example, in 1980, research indicated that one in 250 people would develop deadly melanoma skin cancer, but, today, that number one in 84.
In the U.S., people tend to think of sunscreen as the first line of defense against deadly skin cancers. The American Cancer Society, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Academy of Dermatology put sunscreen near or at the top of their lists for sun protection. It is commonly believed that, as long as you've got sunscreen on, you're safe. But, it may not be so.
Australia can boast what is widely considered the world's most ambitious skin-cancer prevention campaign in the world, and sunscreen definitely has a role, but it is downplayed. Australians regard sunscreen as the very last resort, and, Down Under, they consider it far more important to wear protective clothing and stay in the shade. According to one of the designers of Australia's prevention campaign, "Relying on synthetic chemicals to prevent skin cancer is laughable. It's like giving people saccharin and then telling them they can eat whatever they want and stay thin."
What do the Aussies have against sunscreen? Sunscreens now on the market simply do not eliminate the hazards of ultraviolet radiation. According to a University of Pittsburgh dermatologist, sunscreens are ineffective at safeguarding against cancer, or, at best, only weakly effective.
Experts once assumed that sunburn was the main cause of skin cancers, so sunscreen was developed to block out rays of the type of ultraviolet light that burned the skin, called UVB. Then, it was discovered that UVA, the other, non-burning type of ultraviolet light, was the real cancer initiator. Ooops! For years, people had used sunscreen, and were told they could stay out in the sun longer than usual because they didn't burn. All the while, however, they were increasing their chances of skin cancer.
After this discovery, sunscreen lotions were reformulated, but they still do not block out all the UVA. In fact, tests show that a fairly high-protection sunscreen is not able to block skin damage associated with cancer. Research done in several European countries discovered that people with melanoma were more likely to have used sunscreen than were those without the disease.
The truth is, scientists remain largely ignorant of what causes deadly melanoma skin cancer. They believe the sun is the main initiator, yet, inexplicably, melanoma often appears on body areas unexposed to the sun, such as the buttocks or soles of the feet.
In related news: Melanoma can be cured if detected early and surgically removed. Unfortunately, doctors are now learning that in many cases the disease is not really cured, but lies dormant for several years with deadly results when it resurfaces.
[Editor: Experts are not recommending that people stop using sunscreen, but it should no longer be viewed as a magic shield that will make people invulnerable to excessive sun exposure.] Based on information in: Health, July/August 1997; Science News, 6-21-97
Excerpted from Spectrum Magazine
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