European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health sunbathing a Tough habit to break by Kate Callen United press International Hen it comes to cholesterol alcohol and Figarelle smoke. Americans Are following the advice of medical experts and moderating their intake. But when it comes to sunlight people just can t seem to gel enough even though the link Between Sun exposure and skin cancer is widely known. Nearly allot the 500,000 cases of skin cancer reported nationwide each year Are Sun related which makes in one of the most preventable of All cancers. When caught in its Early stages it is the most curable cancer. Unfortunately skin cancer also is one of the fastest growing cancers la most serious Tarn malignant Melanoma is spreading More quickly than any other cancer except lung cancer in women which coincides Wilh increases in cigarette smoking among women sunbathers like smokers find it difficult to break the habit. This year in a Survey conducted for the american Academy of dermatology nearly All the adults who responded agreed that Sun exposure damages the skin and More than half knew about the link Between sunbathing and skin cancer. Bul one third of those surveyed said they intentionally work on a Tan each summer and one fourth said they do not use any kind of sunscreen while out in Chesun. The passion for sunlight is so great that Tan fanatics can indulge their habit at night or under Cloudy skies thanks to the growing network of tanning Par ors. And those who Are Short on Lime can now buy lotions that claim to accelerate the tanning process by altering the body s natural pigments. We be go Ion lha message across that excessive Sun exposure is bad Tor our looks and our health says or. Richard Odom Academy president but that does t seem to be strongly influencing people s habits yet. Because people believe in won t happen o  frustrated skin Core experts Aren t sure Why the pleasures of sunbathing outweigh the obvious health risks. Most cite cosmetic reasons ironically a suntan is considered a healthy look and blame the Sun habit on vanity and naivete. We Aie All humans we All want to have our cake and eat it too says or. Seigio nacht a Cati Lorma biochemist who works on developing new sunscreens. To want la avoid cancer but we also want o look Nice and  people also May Persis t in sunbathing because ii makes them Tael Good. There is evidence trom studies of psychiatric Palienie that sunlight elevates mood by regulating the synthesis of brain chemicals that oversee body rhythms.  we want to avoid cancer but a also want to look Nice and tanned by Gus 5chuettueh Page 16 the stars and stripes in fact people who suffer from what is called seasonal depression a Cycle of High Energy and enthusiasm in the summer and lethargy in the Winter have actually bean treated Wilh regular exposure to a Bank of artificial Lull spectrum lights. Bright Light does seem to Flavo an anti depressant affect says or. Thomas Wehr of the National Institute or mental health who developed lha experimental treatment. We re not sure exactly How it works but we think in is modulated through the eyes directly to the brain s hypothalamus which governs mood and emotion. And heat up to a Point can have a Franqui filing or sedative effect like the feeling you get when you take a hot Bath Wehr adds. So a Sun gives you a combination of Light s antidepressant effect and heat s trans sizing effect. Thai s already plenty of reason for people to lie out in the  to there Ware evidence that sunbathers become dependent on sunlight s psychoactive effects a chemical substitute like nicotine chewing gum might help wean people away from the beaches and the tanning Parlours but breaking the Sun habit just in t thai simple. Skin care experts agree that As Long As people want to lie in the Sun the Best Way to prevent skin cancer is to use sunscreens. Newly every available sunscreen lotion Cream Oil or gel is labelled with an spa Sun Protection Factor number ranging anywhere from 2 to 34, and the higher he number the greater the Protection. Most skin care experts recommend wearing a sunscreen product with an spa Factor of at Leasus. The Basic unit of measurement Lor the spa system is the minimum erythema dose says nacht and this is simply the amount of time you need in the Sun to generate minimum color without turning  when radiation from the Sun s ultraviolet rays hits the epidermis says nacht skin cells try to protect themselves by synthesizing Melanin a pigment that darkens the skin. The Sun s us a rays which primarily affect he epidermis eventually produce sunburn and Are the chief cause of skin cancer us a rays which penetrate Mere deeply produce Sunlan and premature aging after prolonged exposure to both us a and us b rays says nacht the ski cells genetic material or Dan eventually becomes influenced by All thai radiation. Some of the cells May Rose control begin dividing at random and become  president Reagan recently had a Small area of skin cancer removed irom his nose. An examination of the tissue found basal cell Epil Helima the Mildest and most common lorm of skin cancer caused 95 percent of the time by overexposure to the Sun sunscreens contain ingredients with special chemical structures that have the ability to absorb tuesday. August 11,1987 particular  says Nacho. Formulas with Paba derivatives Siphon of us a rays and those Wilh Benzophenone absorb us a rays. The most effective products he says urn so matted full spectrum sunscreens that incorporate both typos of Protection. Or. Diana Dihova a new York University medical Center dermatologist emphasizes thai no sunscreen can completely Block out the Sun s rays. Unfortunately most Consumers think an spa is sunscreen Means no Ian,1" she says and Many mistakenly Opl for weak sunscreens. Well you can Stilt Tan she warns and any Tan is  Dihova who advises he american Academy of dermatology on sunscreen usage thinks the Only real Hope of preventing Shin cancer lies in the development of a total sunblock 1 that has the Potency of Zinc oxide available in thick opaque ointments but is easier to apply and less irritating to the skin. Such a product does not yet exist Sha reports eve though several companies have marketed High spa formulas As Supe blocks that Are supposed to let j you stay in he Sun All Day Long j that word is a Misnomer says Dihova. They May to super sunscreens bul they re no Superb Tocks. Ii you re swimming or perspiring you need to reapply  in lil an effective Casy to apply sunblock is available Dihova tells her fair skinned patients to avoid sunlight As much As possible. If they want to look tanned she advises them to use tinted moisturizers or self oxidizing lotions thai Darken outer skin cells without inflicting damage and like most skin care experts Dihova wishes Consumers would learn to apply sunscreens As regularly As hey use deodorants and toothpaste. People should realize that they need to use sunscreens every Day Winter and summer she says sunscreens Are so easy to apply that it s really just a question of  dermatologists Are no giving up their Campaign to wean americans irom heir desire for the Sun. But they Are taking a different Lack and focusing education Elloris on fledgling sunbathers and their parents. This year the american Academy of dermatology is working Wanh the american Academy of paediatrics to promote the use of sunscreens during infancy and childhood. Their National Campaign was prompted by growing data that sunscreen usage Early in life can drastically reduce the risk of skin cancer in adults. There is Strong evidence that if your parents Start applying sunscreen to you As an infant and you use i throughout your life you can reduce your risk of cancer by Over 90 percent says Odom. Ii that s True in s a very compelling