Could Sunscreen be Elevating Your Risk of Skin Cancer?

The whole idea of sunscreen is somewhat comical. The idea that you are going to effectively reduce the damage done by broad spectrum radiation with the application of very thin, nearly transparent layer of lotion is absurd. I can see through the so-claimed protection! I know a good portion of the energy is radiating through!

Has anyone ever heard of applying sunscreen as a prudent preparation for radcon work?

If sunscreen has any merit, why hasn't this incredible technology been expanded into other areas??

Where is my 'car-wreck-screen lotion'?

What about 'punched-in-the-nose-screen lotion'?

I want faster development of 'disapproving-glare-screen lotion' (and perhaps the 'haven't-you-been-banned?-screen lotion')!

BBB

Damn you. Have you been spying into the KrisDel^TM development labs?
The punch in the nose screen lotion is undergoing extensive field trials in a Glasgow public house even as we speak.
Del
(It's based on the stuff Mike Tyson's cornerman used to apply)

it is an optical filter... ever heard of UV resistant sunglasses?

it does not take a thick material to act as an optical filter.

atomic radiation is a much more powerful particle, (alpha, beta, gamma etc) and doesn't get filtered the same way as visible & UV light.

Chris

Hi,

I use Bullfrog Mosquitocoast almost every day here in South Florida. You article is informative and helpfull. While it's SPF is only 30 I find it is effective when other brands with higher SPF ratings are not. I don't know what the chemistry difference is and I don't care, as my job is Ocean Patrol (boats) for a police department.

Interesting topic. I was just reading a blog on the topic of vitamin D the other day (found here). The author of the blog gives a short review of a book called The Vitamin D Solution by Michael F. Holick.

My understanding is that the body has it's own way to protect itself from the sun (getting a tan). The tan blocks the cancer causing UVA rays. Also getting enough sunlight gives the benefit of plenty of vitamin D synthesis which has been shown to be protective against melanoma. The sunblock cuts out virtually all of the vitamin D synthesizing rays.

Very interesting link. RHABE also had a very interesting comment.

I think that the body learned to cope with the sun's rays long before sunscreen was invented and it is probably another one of those useless things that people put forth to make money.

Yes, the body has adapted over time, depending on where your ancestors lived. In those times people were not so mobile, their level of pigmentation suited the anger of the sun in those locales. The tropics, and dry areas such as Africa and Australia produced darkly pigmented skin, whereas the Northern European areas had whiter skin. This was necessary to ensure adequate vitamin D in those dreary English winters etc. But going into the Arctic circle, eskimos (sorry Inuit) have dark skin again because the air is so dry the UV level is really high.

These days you can migrate in hours to a completely inappropriate place, eg. taking your pallid UK winter complexion here to a sunny summer NZ, where we warn that you can burn in half an hour, to no avail. There is nothing like experience as a teacher.

So some form of protection is needed depending on your ancestors bequeath. I have worked outdoors with some fair-skinned folk (gingernuts) who have had the misfortune of peeling continuously for months, mostly on the nose. The level of internal protection was inadequate. These days we can see dark skinned muslims in the UK and other places completely covered in cloth, these people have no hope of producing vitamin D. I assume they take supplements or else they will develop rickets and other vitamin D deficiency problems.

Ignore your heritage at your peril.

More on vitamin D can be found here:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/scientists.shtml

RHABE

Good site Rhabe. I've used it as a resource for awhile now. Actually the link you provide is to the list of scientist. This one takes you to the main site Vitamin D Council