How to be SunSmart
Austraia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the word. Every year over 770,000 skin cancers are treated in Austraia and around 2,000 peope wi die from the disease. Western Austraia has the second highest rate of skin cancer in the country. The good news is that skin cancer is argey preventabe by minimising exposure to utravioet (UV) radiation from the sun. Being SunSmart is a simpe and effective way to reduce your risk of deveoping skin cancer. Who is at risk of skin cancer? Most peope iving in Austraia are at risk of deveoping skin cancer due to its geographica ocation in an area of high UV radiation. You are more ikey to deveop skin cancer if you have: Fair skin that burns easiy and does not tan. Bue or green eyes and/or fair or red hair. Suffered sunburn in the past, particuary as a chid. Spent your chidhood in Austraia. A arge number of freckes, moes or sunspots. A famiy or persona history of skin cancer. Used a soarium (sometimes caed a sunbed or sunamp), or Worked or spent a ot of eisure time in the sun. 2
UV radiation what you need to know There are two types of UV radiation that reach the earth's surface - UVA and UVB. Both contribute to the deveopment of skin cancer. UV radiation cannot be seen by the eye ike visibe ight or fet ike infrared radiation, which produces heat. Overexposure to UV radiation can resut in: sunburn wrinking and premature ageing eye damage, and skin cancer. 3
UV myths don t be fooed! There are some common misunderstandings about UV radiation, incuding: You ony get burnt when it s hot. Not true. Most peope get burnt when the temperature is between 18 and 27 degrees. UV radiation isn't affected by temperature. The eve of UV can be the same whether the temperature is 20 degrees or 40 degrees. The wind can burn your skin. Not true. Windburn is sunburn that happens on a windy day. You can't get burnt on a coudy day. Not true. UV radiation can penetrate coud cover making sun protection just as important on coudy days. You won t get burnt if you re in shade. Not true. Surfaces such as sand, concrete, water, snow and grass can refect UV radiation. Other sun protection measures (cothing, hats, sungasses and sunscreen) shoud be used even when you're in the shade. Ony sunbathers get skin cancer. Not true. Most peope get burnt when they east expect it such as when they are working in the garden or taking the dog for a wak. 4
Protect yoursef in five ways from skin cancer. 1. Sip on sun protective cothing 2. Sop on SPF 30 or higher sunscreen 3. Sap on a hat 4. Seek shade 5. Side on some sungasses And remember to cover up when the UV Index reaches 3 or above. Sip on sun protective cothing Use cothing rather than sunscreen to cover most of your skin, then appy sunscreen to skin that is not covered. When choosing cothes to wear outdoors consider both stye and fabric. Look for: Designs that cover as much skin as possibe. Choose tops with ong seeves and coars and ong pants or skirts. Materias that have a cose weave. A good tip is to hod the item up to the ight. If it doesn't et much ight through it shoud provide good sun protection. 5
Cotton, poyester/cotton and inen materias. They are ightweight, coo to wear and when tighty woven can protect against 95% of UV radiation. A UV Protection Factor (UPF), which expains how much sun protection the materia provides. The higher the rating, the better the protection. A UPF of 40 or above wi bock more than 97% of UV radiation. Materias that maintain their sun protective vaue when wet, such as ycra. Cothes not designed for swimming, such as t-shirts, ose their abiity to protect against UV radiation when wet. Note: As cothing wears and ages it oses its sun-protective properties. 6
Sop on SPF 30 or higher sunscreen Sunscreen is recommended in addition to cothing, hats, shade and sungasses for adequate sun protection. It shoud not be reied on as the soe form of sun protection. No sunscreen provides 100% UV protection. Did you know? Two of the most common reasons why peope get burnt is because their sunscreen wears off and/or they stay in the sun too ong. Remember: You need to reappy sunscreen approximatey every two hours as it won t ast a day. Sunscreen shoud never be used to increase the time you spend in the sun. How to choose a sunscreen For the best protection, choose a sunscreen that: Has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Is abeed broad spectrum. This means the sunscreen wi fiter both UVA and UVB radiation. Is water resistant, so it is ess ikey to be washed off by water activities or sweat. Is abeed AUST L or AS/NZS 2604:2012, showing the sunscreen meets the Austraian Standard and provides the sun protection factor caimed. Has a vaid expiry date. More expensive sunscreens are not necessariy a better quaity product. 7
How to appy sunscreen Appy sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors to cean, dry skin. This wi give the sunscreen time to bond to your skin. Layer sunscreen onto exposed skin (ike icing a cake). Do not rub it in. Appy a thick ayer of sunscreen - most peope do not use enough! Reappy every 2 hours or more often if in the water, sweating or towe drying. Remember your ips (a common skin cancer site). A zinc or ip bam wi provide onger asting protection than a cream. 8
Sap on a hat Sap on a hat that provides as much shade as possibe to your face, head, neck, ears and eyes. Choosing a SunSmart hat There are three main styes of hats that provide adequate sun protection: Broad Brimmed Bucket Choose a hat with a brim of at east 7.5 cm that provides shade to the entire face. Bucket hats shoud have a deep crown, sit ow on the head and have a brim of at east 6 cm. Legionnaire Legionnaire hats shoud have a peak of at east 6 cm. The side fap and front peak shoud meet the ears to provide protection to the side of the face. Caps and visors are not recommended as they eave the ears and the back of the neck exposed. Hats protect you from direct UV radiation but not from UV radiation refected from surfaces such as sand, water and concrete. Remember to wear sungasses as we as sunscreen on your face and neck. 9
Seek shade Staying in fu shade is one of the most effective ways to reduce sun exposure, but remember that other sun protection measures (cothing, hats, sungasses and sunscreen) shoud aso be used to avoid refected UV radiation. Whatever you use for shade, be it trees, buit shade structures or some form of portabe shade, make sure it casts a dark shadow. You shoud remain in the shaded area as the shadow moves with the sun. Side on some sungasses Sungasses are an important way of reducing eye damage from UV radiation. A sungasses sod in Austraia must conform to the Austraian Standard AS/NZS 1067:2003 Sungasses and Fashion Spectaces. There are different categories of enses within the Standard, and a sungasses must be abeed to indicate which category they compy with. Those marked as fashion spectaces do not provide enough UV protection. 10
Choosing sungasses Frames shoud fit cose to the face. Wrap-around styes prevent UV radiation entering from the sides. Look for sungasses that have an Eye Protection Factor (EPF) of 10 as they provide the best UV protection. The EPF number can be found on the swing tag and ranges from 1 to 10. Be wary of sungasses sod as chidrens' toys as these may not meet the Austraian Standard. If you wear prescription gasses consider adding a UV protective coating, attaching protective shades or wearing prescription sungasses. When to be SunSmart Sun protection is required when the UV Index reaches 3 or above in your area. UV radiation eves are highest during the midde of the day so take extra care to be SunSmart around this time. UV radiation eves are higher in northern Western Austraia compared to southern areas of the state. In areas north of Perth, sun protection is required a year round. A SunSmart UV Aert is issued by the Bureau of Meteoroogy when the UV Index is forecast to reach 3 or above. At that eve, the sun can damage your skin and increase your risk of deveoping skin cancer. The SunSmart UV Aert can be found at www.myuv.com.au. It is aso on the weather page of a Austraian daiy newspapers, the Bureau of Meteoroogy website at www.bom.gov.au/uv for over 200 ocations across Austraia, and on some radio and mobie phone weather forecasts. The SunSmart app is aso avaiabe for iphone, ipad and Android. 11
Vitamin D and sun protection getting the baance right In Austraia, a baance is required between achieving enough sun exposure to maintain adequate vitamin D eves whie minimising the risk of skin cancer. Exposure to the sun provides most of the body's vitamin D which heps to maintain heathy bones and musces. Most peope achieve sufficient vitamin D eves from the sun exposure they receive through typica day-to-day outdoor activities, without needing to seek additiona sun exposure. Some groups in the community have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. They incude: Naturay very dark skinned peope who need more UV exposure to produce adequate eves of vitamin D as the pigment in their skin reduces UV penetration. Peope who cover their skin for reigious or cutura reasons. The edery and peope who are housebound or in institutiona care. Babies and infants of vitamin D deficient mothers, especiay babies who are excusivey or partiay breastfed, and Obese peope. See your doctor if you are concerned about your vitamin D eves. For more information refer to Cancer Counci Austraia's 'Risks and benefits of sun exposure' position statement avaiabe at www.cancer.org.au. 12
Protecting chidren and babies As with aduts, the best sun protection for babies and chidren is to use a combination of shade, protective cothing, hats, sungasses and sunscreen. Minimise the time that young chidren, particuary babies, spend exposed to the sun when the UV Index reaches 3 or above. Sunscreen shoud be used as a ast ine of defence. It shoud ony be appied to areas of the skin that cannot be protected by cothing. Sunscreens are safe to use on babies however it is recommended that a sma amount is tested on the skin to check for any aergies or reactions. 13
The truth about tanning A forms of tanning that expose your skin to UV radiation increase your risk of deveoping skin cancer and skin damage (incuding premature ageing). Soariums (aso known as sunbeds or tanning units) produce UV radiation eves up to five times as strong as the midday summer sun. Commercia soariums are now banned in Austraia. Eary detection saves ives Reguar skin checks increase the chance of finding skin cancer at an eary and highy treatabe stage. If you see a new spot on your skin, one that has changed in size, shape or coour or a non-heaing sore see your doctor as soon as you can. 14
SunSmart communities Taking persona sun protection measures is vita but it s aso important to consider ways to hep make the wider community you ive in (more) SunSmart. SunSmart schoos and chidcare centres Is your oca schoo or chidcare centre SunSmart? UV radiation exposure during chidhood and adoescence contributes significanty to ifetime risk of skin cancer. Schoos and chidcare centres, in partnership with famiies and their communities, can have a significant roe in reducing sun exposure and improving SunSmart behaviour. Make your workpace SunSmart Workers who spend a or part of their day outside are at high risk of deveoping skin cancer. Cancer Counci WA can advise workpaces on sun protection strategies. Hosting an outdoor event? Ensure a participants are protected. Contact Cancer Counci for tips on hosting a SunSmart event. For arge outdoor events in the metropoitan area, enquire about booking the SunSmart Van which offers a range of sun protection products for sae. For more detais on any of these initiatives, contact Cancer Counci WA on 13 11 20 or emai sunsmart@cancerwa.asn.au. 15
Further information and resources For more information visit www.cancerwa.asn.au or ca Cancer Counci on 13 11 20. UV protective cothing and accessories are avaiabe at Cancer Counci WA s shop at 334 Rokeby Road, Subiaco or onine: www.cancerwa.asn.au/shopping Be SunSmart Protect yoursef in five ways from skin cancer. 1. Sip on sun protective cothing 2. Sop on SPF 30 or higher sunscreen 3. Sap on a hat 4. Seek shade 5. Side on some sungasses When the UV Index reaches 3 or above, be SunSmart. Photos courtesy of Queensand Heath www.cancerwa.asn.au To access any of our services, programs or information about cancer, ca one of our Cancer Nurses on 13 11 20. This is a confidentia service, avaiabe Statewide for the cost of a oca ca Monday to Friday during business hours. 03/2016