As we roll into the dog days of summer … Stop. Fun Fact: “Dog Days” refer to the period between July 3 and August 11, when the Dog Star Sirius rises in the sky at the same time as the sun in the Northern hemisphere. I just dropped a knowledge bomb on y’all! But I digress.
Interestingly, the anti-tanning folks seem to enjoy pointing the finger at salons as the culprits in any perceived rise in skin cancer rates.
It’s hotter than heck in most of the U.S. Hopefully, you’ve had a little break from running the salon to take advantage of the pool, lake or ocean. This month’s “Watchdog” column covers a bit on base tans and SPF. (Check it out after you read this.) So, as we all know (or should know), a base tan achieved in moderation in a sunbed can provide an SPF equivalent to about 3-4. So, how many of you wear a proper SPF and reapply? I would go out on a limb (you know what that one means) and suggest that sunbed aficionados are probably the most “sun aware” people around. We know about prudent exposures and certainly to avoid overexposure and sunburn.
Interestingly, the anti-tanning folks seem to enjoy pointing the finger at salons as the culprits in any perceived rise in skin cancer rates. Basically, if you tan in a tanning bed for any length of time, you’re doomed. How hypocritical are they when clearly, one’s heredity, skin type, number of moles and lifetime occurrence of sunburn or erythema are leading factors in skin cancer rates? Well, they are.
Pounding a mantra of “avoid sunbeds and stay out of the sun between the hours of 10am-2pm,” they simply don’t get it. Instead of seeking to legislate restrictions on indoor tanning (you can’t tan in a sunbed, but you can enlist in the military to serve our country?), why are they not camped out in front of beaches, lakes and pools trying to restrict those? Could you imagine a ban at Cocoa Beach, FL? “Sorry, folks! The beach is closed between 10am-2pm.” I can picture John Candy in the movie “Summer Rental” hearing that over a loudspeaker. He would have blown a fuse! It makes no sense!
Earlier this summer, my family had an opportunity to visit friends at Myrtle Beach, SC. Am I the only one who uses different levels of SPF on different parts of my body? Face, ears, neck and shoulders get Water Babies SPF 50. (I have no shame.) Arms and belly get SPF 30, legs and feet get a 15. Hey, I’m covered and I reapply!
So, what is an SPF? Of course, it is short for sun protection factor and its measure of how well it would protect you from UVB overexposure. Logically, one would think it means that an SPF 100 would be double the protection of an SPF 50. Alas, not true. According to the Environmental Working Group that studies such things, SPF 30 blocks nearly 97% of UVB, SPF 50 blocks about 98% and SPF 100 blocks about 99%. How many people know that a 50 product blocks only 1% more UVB than a 100? I’m thinking not many. So, keys to minimizing risk: avoid sunburn and overexposure, use the proper SPF and reapply as needed. Be sure to share this info with your salon guests. Of course, all of this is covered in our Sun is Life® Training program.
Be safe and enjoy the rest of your summer!
