Page 46 - The Golf Guide, Summer 2016

Feature Story

Sun Protection ~ Hot Fun in the Summertime

Wes Bolyard

It’s time to have more fun on the links and shed those sweaters and jackets. But
remember, by getting rid of those arm coverings, exposure to the sun’s UV rays
comes along with possible skin damage. As a melanoma survivor, I can tell you
first-hand how important it is to understand how the sun can cause skin damage
and how to protect yourself from future problems. You can safeguard your arms
from the sun by using sunscreen and protective sleeves.
Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) is divided into three types, UVA, UVB, and UVC. The
ozone layer filters out virtually all UVC, but the other two types reach earth in
significant amounts. While UVB is “stronger” than UVA in the sense that UVB has
a greater ability to cause sunburn, UVA encounters occur about 100 times more
often than UVB. So despite being weaker, UVA dangers still exist. Your sunscreen
must offer broad spectrum protection, which means that it effectively protects
against both UVA and UVB rays, solar wavelengths proven to damage skin. UVA
rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB and are the chief cause of wrinkles,
sagging skin, and other signs of aging. UVB rays damage the skin’s upper surface
and are the main cause of sunburn. Both types cause skin cancer.
UVR is strongest between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Clouds filter some but not
all UVR, so you can get burned on a cloudy day. For every 1,000 feet increase in
altitude, UVR increases by 4%.
Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a measure of how long a person can stay in the
sun before UVB rays start to burn the skin. To establish an SPF, researchers first
determine the minimal erythemal dose (MED), or how long it takes to get the skin
red. Let’s say with no sunscreen, your skin starts to redden in 20 minutes. An SPF
30 will theoretically allow you to stay in the sun 30 times longer without getting
burned. In the real world, no matter what the SPF, sunscreens start to lose potency
over time, so it’s important to reapply every two hours and after swimming or
heavy sweating. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends always using a broad
spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher – SPF 30 or higher for extended
stays outdoors.
Sunscreens have ingredients that, when applied topically, keep UVR
from reaching your skin. They work either by absorbing UVR or by
reflecting it. All sunscreens, regardless of the ingredients, MUST
be applied PRIOR to exposure to achieve maximum effectiveness.
Referring to our earlier example, if that same individual would
expose themselves to the sun for 10 minutes before applying the
sunscreen, they would have already received 50% of their MED. The
SPF 15 sunscreen would now only provide 150 minutes of protection
instead of the 300 minutes it could have. Apply sunscreen about 20
minutes before going out to give it time to “set up” on your skin
so that it can do its job. An SPF 15 stops about 95% of UVR and
an SPF 30 blocks about 97%. Look at the active ingredients label

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