England might not be known for it’s sunny hot weather, but these last few days have been absolutely boiling. It makes sense then, that the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) have announced this week to be Sun Awareness Week.
I went for a picnic in the park on the Bank Holiday Monday just gone and didn’t bother putting any sun cream on. I honestly didn’t expect it to be that hot, but I quickly regretted it as I now have red arms and legs. I’m not even a sun-bather, but I can see how quickly the sun can get to you. From a 2006 study in Europe, the UK has the highest skin cancer rates for children, aged 0 to 14, and teenagers, aged 15 to 19.
I think it’s because living in England we don’t always see the sun as a big threat and so we often go without the sun cream or don’t bother using the high factor stuff. At a time when global warming is making every other headline, it makes sense that our little part of the world is getting hotter, too.
The labelling of Sunscreens will actually be changing next year, due to the need for higher factor cream.
| New Label |
Factor |
| Low | 6 – 10 |
| Medium | 15 – 25 |
| High | 30 – 50 |
| Very High | 50+ |
Two important tips that I pulled away from BAD’s press release were to do with applying sunscreen and I wasn’t doing either of these previously.
- • Apply sunscreen thickly – The considered ‘bare minimum’ of application is around 36 grams (six full teaspoons), but applying too little significantly decreases the cream’s affect and means you need to reapply it much more quickly.
- • Reapply at least every 2 to 3 hours – And also immediately after swimming or anything else which may have caused the cream to rub off.
So slap that lotion on when you’re out. I actually can’t bear it in the sun anyway, I’m always looking for the shade. Finally, if you’re at all worried, BAD remind everybody that mole checks are completely free! Just get in touch with your GP.
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