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Playing it safe in the sun
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How to enjoy outdoor sports in the summer while protecting your skin from UV damage
By Anne Ptasznik
Summer is a great time to get some healthy outdoor exercise, but you need to protect your skin from the summer sun to make daily physical activity a winning proposition. Dr. Benjamin Barankin, a Toronto dermatologist at The Dermatology Centre (www.benjaminbarankin.com), shared some tips and advice with us to help you guard against the sun’s damaging UV rays, whatever sporting activity you choose.
Golfers
Choose a product with a high SPF 30 to 60, especially if you’re playing 18 holes – which adds up to being outdoors for over 4 hours. It also helps to choose an early morning tee-off time, or wait for twilight hours. Find a sunscreen you like applying and reapplying, such as a body spray for men. Wear a broad-rimmed hat, preferably long pants and comfortable, sun-protective shirts. Find shade under a golf umbrella, golf cart or treed area.
Tennis players
Ideally, a hat should cover the top of your ears and the tip of your nose but if you prefer wearing a ball cap, says Dr. Barankin, don’t forget those areas and the back of your neck when you slather on that sunscreen half-an-hour before you hit the courts. Wear sunglasses and ideally a dark shirt, because it blocks out more UV light. “But if you prefer to wear white, so long as it’s a fairly tight weave, and you’re wearing it loosely, you’ll still get a quite a bit of protection”, says Dr. Barankin.
Gardeners
Wear a broad-rimmed hat, and long pants to protect from the sun, bug bites and poison ivy. If not, Dr. Barankin warns, make sure you apply sunscreen on the back of your legs, especially women, as this is your most common area for melanoma (and backs for men).
Swimmers
Go for “water-resistant” or “waterproof” sunscreen – even waterproof is only guaranteed to last 80 minutes, so reapply often, as you will wash, sweat, or towel it off. Also, don’t forget the tops of your feet, forehead, nose, cheeks, tips of the ears and back of the neck – areas that are often forgotten and often burned during water sports.
Higher UV Protection at Higher Altitudes
Hikers, beware. If you are hiking in the mountains, the risk of sun damage goes up -- UV radiation levels increase by 4% with every 300 metre increase in altitude. (Source: Canadian Dermatology Association)
And here are some more tips to help you keep moving safely while outdoors:
• Good timing: Schedule activities before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. when the sun is less intense, and especially avoid the midday sun. – Save that lunchtime bike ride or walk for after work.
• Eye protection: Wear wraparound sunglasses with 100% UV protection to help prevent wrinkling around your eyes, glaucoma, cataracts and eye cancer.
• Cool clothes: Wear dark, loose-fitting cotton or lightweight synthetics with a tight weave and a collar to help protect your neck or check out commercial sun protective clothing. Washing your clothes, especially with detergents that have a sun-protective additive, increases their sun protective factor.
• Sunscreen use: Apply a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen 30 minutes before you head outside to protect from UVB sunburn causing rays and then reapply every two to three hours. Dr. Barankin advises using a broad-spectrum sunscreen (look for ingredients Mexoryl SX & XL and Helioplex) to protect from UVA rays as well.
• Stay-put protection: If you know you’ll be breaking a sweat, choose a sunscreen that is sweat- or water-resistant and won’t run into your eyes or be easily removed when you sweat. Use sun blocks with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, (Dr. Barankin says the white, pasty formula has been improved), if you have a sun allergy or sensitivity and to avoid sunburn in the water.
And remember: “There is no safe tan. Any tanning is a sign of skin damage”, says Dr. Barankin. So if you still desire that bronzed look for the bare-it-all season, choose a sunless tanner with the colour additive, dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Health Canada considers sunless tanners to be a safer alternative to tanning both in a tanning bed and outdoors, as the body is not exposed to harmful rays that increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Just know that you still need to cover up and wear sunscreen – a fake tan won’t block out UV rays.
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