Erik Hansen is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Policy and the “When I Was a Mustang…” columnist.
Way back in the day there was a song produced by Baz Luhrmann titled, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen).” Done in spoken word and set to a fairly catchy remix sample, the song recites, almost verbatim, a 1997 column from the Chicago Tribune by Mary Schmich titled, “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young.” Those familiar with the song, or maybe even Schmich’s column, can recall the various pieces of advice doled out: floss, stretch, drink plenty of calcium and — most importantly — wear sunscreen.
With summer fast approaching, before you grab your towel and make your weekly romp over to Pirates Cove — because at Pirates Cove all you need is a towel — it’s time for the obligatory column on protecting yourself from the sun, or better yet, why you should protect yourself from the sun. While in her 1997 column Schmich chose not to go into the details of why wearing sunscreen is important, the numbers do a pretty good job of speaking for themselves.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 2 million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. In addition, more than 68,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer were diagnosed in 2010.
There’s probably no need to explain the difference between the two, and you probably already know how horrible both types of cancer can be. Most of these cancers develop on sun-exposed areas of the body — like the face, ear, neck, lips and the backs of the hands — and one of the few downsides to living where we do is that we get plenty of sun.
Rates of skin cancer vary by state, and California is on the higher end of the spectrum. A 2007 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that residents of California have a skin cancer rate of about 19.3 to 22.1 new cases per year per 100,000 residents, compared to residents of New York and Wisconsin, who both have skin cancer rates of about 8.6 to 16.7 new cases per year per 100,000 residents.
According to the American Cancer Society, while unprotected and/or excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a major contributor to non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers, other factors that can act alone or compound your risk include a family history, atypical moles and a fair complexion.
This seems to be supported by a survey completed by the CDC for the years 1999 to 2007. The CDC survey found that Caucasians had a skin cancer rate of about 25 new cases per 100,000 individuals each year during the 1999 to 2007 time period. The next closest groups were American Indians and Hispanics with skin cancer rates of about five new cases per 100,000 individuals each year during the same time period.
To help protect you from skin cancer, institutions like the CDC and the American Cancer Society suggest avoiding the sun and to seek shade between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Yeah OK, maybe if we all lived in Ohio where the only thing to do during the day is play Xbox.
More realistically, according to the American Cancer Society, if you have to venture outside, the next best thing you can do is keep your shirt on — even though you’ve been working out all spring for the ladies — throw on a hat and sunglasses and wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. All of which seem like no-brainers, but there is no magic bullet in protecting yourself from the sun.
Thanks to recent advances in science, aerosol — or “continuous spray” as it’s sometimes called — sunscreen is now available. While it unfortunately ends the practice of asking strangers to put sunscreen on your back, you can literally be covered in seconds. What’s even better, brands like Coppertone and Banana Boat have aerosol sunscreens that are sweat-proof, fragrance-free and provide SPF 250,000 protection.
Now you have no excuse to not come back to school in the fall looking fresh-faced and pasty pale.