OBJECTIVES To estimate the proportion and numbers of cancers occurring in Australia attributable to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and the proportion and numbers prevented by regular sun protection factor (SPF) 15+ sunscreen use. METHODS We estimated the population attributable fraction (PAF) and numbers of melanomas and keratinocyte cancers (i.e. basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell ca...

Sunscreen products are widely used to protect the skin from sun-related damage. Previous studies have shown that some sunscreen chemicals are absorbed across the skin to the systemic circulation. The current study shows that absorption into the skin of sunscreen chemicals applied to the face is up to four times greater than that of the same product applied to the back. This has implications for...

OBJECTIVES To describe the pattern of associations with sunscreen use of sun protection attitudes and knowledge in a large sample of New Zealand outdoor workers. We also examined the relationship between perceived skin type and perceived risk of developing skin cancer. METHODS Outdoor workers from nine occupational groups (n=1,131) completed a questionnaire, which included measures of skin ca...

cases. Patch testing with a battery of sunscreens gave a positive reading (++) at 48 and 96 h to butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane 2% (Parsol 1789) in both cases (Fig. 1). Since only one of the sunscreens contained parsol, we decided to test with other sunscreens. The results are shown in Table 1. All sunscreens that gave a positive patch test reaction contained octocrylene, which is included in so...

Application of sunscreen is a widely used mechanism for protecting skin from the harmful effects of UV light. However, protection can only be achieved through effective application, and areas that are routinely missed are likely at increased risk of UV damage. Here we sought to determine if specific areas of the face are missed during routine sunscreen application, and whether provision of publ...

BACKGROUND Behaviors such as sunscreen use and wearing sun-protective clothing are thought to prevent certain types of skin cancer and precancerous lesions, but few studies have examined differences in these prevention behaviors by skin type. METHODS We carried out a cross-sectional study (n = 6,858) nested within a community-based prospective cohort in Washington County, Maryland. We measure...

BACKGROUND Sun safety and vitamin D status are important for prolonged health. They are of particular interest to those working with athletes for whom for whom safe sun practices maybe limited. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe the attitudes of elite New Zealand athletes to both vitamin D and sun exposure. METHODS 110 elite New Zealand outdoor athletes volunteered to parti...

5. What are the implications of this study? Patients sometimes claim that, despite regular and routine use of sunscreen, they still develop “redness.” A discussion of proper ap p lication of sunscreen then ensues, and often one concludes that sunscreen compliance is really the issue. But is it? In this issue, Young and colleagues suggest otherwise. Stemming from the knowledge that UVA radiation...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of cellular telephone text messaging as a reminder tool for improving adherence to sunscreen application. DESIGN We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of the effect of an electronic text-message reminder system on adherence to sunscreen application. Adherence to daily sunscreen use was evaluated using a novel electronic monitoring device. SETTIN...

A strange but interesting paper [2] by scientists at The University of Wisconsin, which just appeared in PNAS, examines whether two similar sunscreen chemicals, homosalate and octisalate, could be a possible treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). (See my colleague Julianna LeMieux's companion article "Sunscreen, MS And A Scientific Finding That Is Hard To Believe [3]" about the biological activ...