By: Jean Johnson for Wounds1Sunscreen Need Apply – Especially in the Grand Canyon
“None of us ever used sunscreen in the old days,” said Linda Eagle Smith of Flagstaff, Ariz., referring back to the 1960s when she came of age. “All those river trips on the Colorado and down into Old Mexico on the beaches. My girlfriends and I were real sun worshippers too. Instead of sunscreen, we slathered on coconut oil or cocoa butter. Then we’d stretch out on some gorgeous flat rock by a pool in one of the side creeks in the canyon. It didn’t matter if it was high noon or what. We thought we looked more beautiful with tanned skin. Also, I might add that my father worked in the Grand Canyon much of his life on the mule trains – all without sunscreen.”
Eagle Smith, now a grandmother, has had a lifelong love affair with the Southwest and did yet another two-week private river trip through the Grand Canyon in 2006. “It was my permit, and so I was the trip leader. Even though I got quite a bit of help, including a lot from my husband, I was really busy with all the organizing. Even once we were down on the river, there was still a lot of pressure on me as I had some people on the oars that didn’t have a lot of experience – and I sure wasn’t going to have anyone flip a boat on my trip!”
Eagle Smith’s green eyes look energized as she proudly explains that they pulled it off and nobody ended up in the drink. “But still, the last thing on my mind was something like sunscreen. I just tied a bandana around my hair and went for it.” Apparently she got by with it – at least so far as her brunette coloring appears unmarred by any skin cancer.
The longest day of the year is well behind us, and those of us who were lucky enough to get a river trip or hike in this summer are now looking back on the experience like Eagle Smith. Nonetheless, a word to the wise on sunburn is always timely. From the exposure one gets skiing the slopes on a sunny day to tanning beds, to sitting by an office window, ultraviolet (UV) light is everywhere in every season. UV light even comes from those eerily lit bug zappers that glow violet.
More, while we love Smith’s intrepid spirit, she does confess that one of her friends who has spent his life hiking and rafting in the Grand Canyon has had to have some basil cell carcinoma patches (a common and less serious form of skin cancer than melanoma) removed from his face several times. She also points out that when her children and their families joined her on the river, she was glad to see that they brought their sunscreen. So is just about every expert out there. Slather is the word you continually see alongside the word sunscreen. Put on a lot of sunscreen and reapply often is the message.
New, More Effective Sunscreen to Hit the U.S. Market Soon
The faithful – as well as Eagle Smith who says she thinks she’ll probably pick up some sunscreen soon and use it this winter when she skis in Flagstaff – will soon get access to improved sunscreens that the Food and Drug Administration permitted to enter the U.S. market in July 2006. Called Anthelios SX, the sunscreen product is due to be distributed by LaRoche-Posey under the L’Oreal label in the fall of 2006. It will protect wearers against UVB and UVA rays. While UVB radiation is responsible for sunburn and skin cancers, UVA causes something few contemporary women and men appreciate.
“Ultraviolet A light ages your skin. And the reason it does that, it’s a longer wavelength, so it can penetrate deeper into the skin, and instead of attacking the upper layers of the skin where skin cancer often forms, it attacks the layers that give your skin its tone, its elasticity, as we call it. You get the lines, the wrinkles, all the things associated with aging,” Darrell Rigel, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at New York University told ABC News.
Anthelios SX has been marketed in Europe and Canada under the name Mexoryl since 1993, so if your friends in France seem to have their youthful countenance a bit more preserved than yours, chalk it up to political boundaries. As far as Eagle Smith is concerned, however, she’s good either way.
“I’m sure I will try the new L’Oreal product, as I do want to stay looking youthful since that’s what our society seems to respect. But it’s sort of too bad, really, that we just can’t age gracefully,” she said. “I remember all these Hopi Indians that lived at the canyon when I was a girl. The faces of the older men and women were a maze of copper lines, and they looked so lovely and regal. All ancient and wise; not like some foolish old person trying to pretend they are still middle aged or whatever.”
With that Eagle Smith starts laughing. “You’ll probably think I’m a hypocrite since I’ll let you in on a secret – I dye my hair.” She chuckles again. “So I’m as vain as the next person. But still, I really do wish our culture was more in tune with nature as it really is so that us Americans wouldn’t be so silly and frivolous.”
Steven Galson, M.D. and director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA, also thinks the new product needs to be taken in stride although his focus is on health rather than beauty.
“Sunscreens are an important part of total sun protection strategy as consumers arm themselves against the harmful sun rays,” he observed. “While this product provides protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays, the FDA continues to recommend that in addition to using a sunscreen, consumers protect themselves from sun exposure by limiting time in the sun and wearing protective clothing.”
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Tips on Staying Safe under the Sun
Avoid intense sun rays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Remember that clouds block only as much as 20 percent of UV radiation.
Use sunscreen and reapply often since it wears off during perspiration.
Wear a hat with a three-inch brim.
Don sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the UV radiation (and they don’t have to be expensive).
Cover up with lightweight, tightly woven loose-fitting shirts and pants.
Avoid artificial tanning since although tanning beds do not emit UVB light, some FDA scientists suspect UVA light causes melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. |
Beware of Medications and Products that Can Exacerbate SunburnEagle Smith enjoys great health and doesn’t take any pills on a regular basis, but she was interested to learn about the long list of substances that folks in the know consider when exposing their bodies to the golden orb overhead. Diuretics, antibiotics, diabetes medications, nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory over-the-counter pain medicines like Advil, some aftershave and perfumed products that contain Balsam of Peru, artificial sweeteners, cadmium sulfide (a chemical injected into the skin during tattooing), and even some skin care and microdermabrasion products with retin-A or alpha hydroxy acid can predispose the unwary to excessive sunburns.
At issue is a condition called photosensitivity and how various substances, many of which are on the above list, can make people hypersensitive to ultraviolet radiation. That said, it’s useful to note that how people using these products respond is quite varied. Some will have no noticeable effects, while others report problems even days, months, or years after discontinuing the medication or product. Consequently, the best rule of thumb is to be aware of unusually and unexplained strong reactions to the sun, and check with a physician to see there are contraindications with your medicine. In addition, reading labels on products can often alert consumers to substances that are potentially photosensitizing.
All in all, with people enjoying longer life spans and increased time under the glory of the sun, the prudent measures recommended here by Wounds1 can help those who are safety conscious hedge their bets. Even Eagle Smith agrees. “The next time I do a river trip in the Grand Canyon, I’m going to let someone else plan it and spend my time packing my sunscreen and thinking about a cute hat and shades.”
