SunburnsNot
every skin is the same. There are 6 skin
types that have been defined. Skin type I always burns, never tans,
whereas skin type VI of a black person never burns, always tans. The other skin
types are in between. The important distinction between what skin type you are
will determine your risk for skin cancer
and how much effort you should put in to protect yourself against skin cancer
(see link: prevention of skin cancer).
After prolonged sun exposure there will be a point reached where a sunburn
occurs in everybody. However, this burning point is reached much earlier for a
person with skin type I or II compared to a person with skin type IV or V. This
comes from absorption of the UV rays, of which there are two important components,
the less potent UVB rays, which are blocked by PABA type sunscreen lotions, and
the more potent UVA rays. As only UVB rays are the ones we can feel as
a burn, we tend to protect ourselves against those. However, on the longterm it
is the amount of UVA light that is responsible for premature aging of the skin,
for suppression of the immune system and for ultimately causing melanomas
(pigmented skin cancer) and non pigemented skin
cancers. Signs and Symptoms: There
are mild and moderate sunburns that can be caused by sun exposure. With a mild
sunburn there is reddening and pain in the area of sun exposure. The burn is only
on he surface and it is the equivalent of a first degree burn that would occur
by scalding the skin with hot water. With extreme sun exposure blisters are forming
and the patient develops a second degree burn, which affects the deeper layers
of the skin. Treatment: Treatment of sunburns is
symptomatic. There is no known treatment modality that would speed up the healing.
A minor sunburn (first degree) will usually heal in 1 to 3 days. A blistering
sunburn (second degree) will take several days and up to 1 or 2 weeks to heal.
Cold compresses applied and exchanged for new ones frequently is the most soothing
treatment. Although topical corticosteroid creams will help perhaps on the shortterm
for the burning, the inflammation and the swelling, it does not objectively help
for the damage of the skin surface. Time will heal the skin, but when frequent
sunburns are occurring in the same area, there will be sun damaged cells that
accumulate, out of which actinic
keratoses and skin cancer will eventually develop. The key is prevention
of frequent sunburns by application of sunscreen lotions. In the case of
extensive second degree sunburns the patient may have to be admitted to hospital
for a few days for pain control, topical treatment with silver sulfadiazine (brandname:
Flamazine),telfa pads and gauze dressings as well as possibly systemic antibiotics
and/or corticosteroids to mitigate the inflammation and prevent bacterial superinfection
of open blisters. Pain Control: There is an FDA approved
non-drug method available, IceWave
patches from Lifewave, which will control pain. This is mentioned in the
book "Breakthrough" by Suzanne Somers (Ref. 13) where newer insights
of antiaging medicine are also reviewed. Although the patches are placed over
acupuncture points, there are no needles involved. Nanotechnology, a newer technology,
was used in the manufacturing of these patches and infrared (heat) waves from
body heat are utilized to stimulate an acupuncture point, which modifies pain
perception and reduces pain to half or less. Medically this would be considered
an excellent pain reliever. For more info on the patches see the IceWave patches
from Lifewave link above (click "products"). In the US a 5 pack of the
IceWave spray is available that can be directly sprayed onto the skin in the area
where the pain is located.
| Sunscreen facts
| Two myths have
to be mentioned (see Ref. 5, p. 890) in order to be demystified:
Myth # 1:"Self-tanning in a tanning salons
provides protection against skin cancer". Answer: The
truth is that those who go to tanning parlors have skin type III and IV and
by definition do not tan easily. They can at the most tan to a sun protection
factor equivalent of 6 to 8. Those with skin type I and II should not go to tanning
salons, because they would be exposing themselves to a higher risk of skin cancer
as they cannot tan. Myth # 2:"Oral
tanning is safe and protects against skin cancer". Answer:The
truth is that oral tanning is safe (from a chemical point of view), but completely
ineffective in terms of preventing skin cancer. |
Prevention: One ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure... The PABA type suncreen lotions (oxybenzones, cinnamates,
salicylates, and anthranilates) will only block UVB rays. The UVA rays of the
UV light still can penetrate the skin and cause skin cancer down the road.
Unfortunately we feel only the burn from the UVB light and with the help of PABA
type sunblockers are pushing to expose ourselves longer to sun light. This
approach will only promote further skin damage to the deeper parts of the skin
(from UVA rays). This causes skin cancer, perhaps at a slightly lower rate
because we removed the repeat sunburns from UVB rays from the overall skin cancer
risk setting (Ref. 5, p. 890). Those who "must" be out in the sun can
buy the more expensive sun screen lotions that will protect against UVA rays as
well. They contain benzophenones, mexoryl or dibenzoylmethane. To block
sun rays completely on the nose or the lips, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are
useful agents. It is advisable to avoid he "high-noon sun" between 11:00AM
and 2:00 PM to escape the most concentrated UVB and UVA rays of the sun.
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