Skin Cancer Month May 2024

How much sun can my skin take? And how can I protect myself?

How much sun can my skin take? And how can I protect myself?

Skin Cancer Month May 2024

Status: May 15, 2024

It's May and the first warm days are behind us. The sun is finally making an appearance again, yay! Feelings of happiness rise up inside us, the bad mood subsides and we are full of drive again. So let's get out and soak up the sun. But be careful: the most important risk factor for skin cancer is UV radiation from the sun. It is carcinogenic and the cause of immediate and long-term damage to the skin and eyes. The tricky thing is that UV radiation is invisible to humans. This makes it difficult for us to correctly assess UV intensity. Clouds, for example, offer no protection from UV radiation. They only partially filter it out.

Our dermatologist and senior physician Kai-Christian Klespe from the Skin Tumor Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) at the MHH gives tips on how to protect yourself from the sun and what to do if you do get burned. The expert also emphasizes that there is no such thing as a healthy tan!

Sun protection: tips from the experts

  • The intensity of UV radiation is constantly monitored worldwide and published as a so-called UV index. Every common weather app displays this. It therefore provides a good guide. UV protection measures should be taken from a UV index of 3 .
  • Your skin type and the duration of your own protection know. The more sensitive the skin is to UV radiation, the more likely sunburns are to occur.
  • A sufficient amount of sun cream with protection against UVA and UVB rays and a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 should be applied to uncovered skin. Do not forget to reapply sunscreen regularly.
  • Textile sun protection is better than sun creams: opaque clothing, hats, sunglasses, etc.
  • When taking medication, watch out for side effects associated with sunlight.
  • Children's skin is particularly sensitive to UV radiation, which is why it should be exposed to the sun as little as possible.
  • As a general rule: avoid the sun, especially at midday.

See also:
Video: "The best way to protect yourself from sunburn!"

 

How much sun can my skin tolerate?

Self-protection of the skin according to skin type

Skin type 1:
  • very fair skin, often with freckles
  • reddish to reddish-blonde hair
  • blue, green or gray eyes
Self-protection of the skin: 5 to 10 minutes
Skin type 2:
  • fair skin, often with freckles
  • blonde to brown hair
  • all eye colors
Self-protection of the skin: 10 to 20 minutes
Skin type 3:
  • light to light brown skin, rarely with freckles
  • dark blonde to brown hair
  • gray or brown eyes
Self-protection of the skin: 20 to 30 minutes
Skin type 4:
  • light brown or olive-colored skin, no freckles
  • dark brown hair
  • brown to dark brown eyes
Self-protection of the skin: 20 - 30 minutes
Skin type 5:
  • dark brown skin
  • dark brown to black hair
  • dark brown eyes
Self-protection of the skin: UV radiation only leads to sunburn after more than 60 minutes, the existing tan does not increase any further
Skin type 6:
  • Dark brown to black skin
  • black hair
  • dark brown eyes
Self-protection of the skin: UV radiation only leads to sunburn after more than 60 minutes, the existing tan does not increase any further

 

What do I do if I have burned myself?

"The most important thing is to get out of the sun," emphasizes Klespe. "The skin should be Nursing and slightly cooled, for example with lotions and damp cloths. As moisture can be lost through the damaged skin, you should drink enough. Only when the sunburn has completely subsided should you expose yourself to the sun again.

"You didn't get a tan on vacation" - what could you say to that?

Klespe: "There is no such thing as a healthy tan. Any tanning of the skin shows that it wants to protect itself from too much sun and the associated risk of skin cancer. UV radiation also leads to excessive formation of wrinkles and age spots".

Skin cancer facts

More and more people are developing skin cancer. The most important risk factor is UV radiation from the sun. According to the Robert Koch Institute (Journal of Health Monitoring 2023), the number of new cases of light skin cancer in Germany has quadrupled (men) to quintupled (women) in the last 30 years. The number of new cases of black skin cancer has roughly quadrupled since the 1970s. Sunburns as a result of excessive UV radiation, for example, double the risk of developing black skin cancer. In children, the risk is said to have tripled.

Briefly explained

The best way to protect yourself from sunburn!

With Kai-Christian Klespe, senior physician at the MHH Skin Tumor Center. Status: May 16, 2023

watch on YouTube
Why is sunburn actually so dangerous?

With Kai-Christian Klespe, senior physician at the MHH Skin Tumor Center. Status: May 16, 2023

watch on YouTube

Skin Cancer Month May

Skin Cancer Month in May is an initiative for the prevention of skin cancer and was once again proclaimed this year by the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) and the German Dermatological Society (DDG). The aim is to raise public awareness of the dangers of UV radiation and to communicate protective measures through information and education. Umbrella campaign: Together against skin cancer

This might interest you:

Black skin cancer: How is it diagnosed and treated?

Status: 27.05.2022 | Skin Cancer Month 2022 | Interview with Kai-Christian Klespe, Senior Physician at the Skin Tumor Center

 Protect against skin cancer and detect skin cancer

Status: 03.05.2021 | Skin Cancer Month May 2021

Further information can be found here:

Together against skin cancer

The Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) e.V. informs.

 The Cancer Information Service German Cancer Aid