If you are planning on a break in the sun you may be concerned about articles suggesting that sunscreens increase the risk of the most dangerous skin cancer.
The gist of the articles are this: sunscreens filter out the UVB rays that are chiefly responsible for sunburn and skin cancer, allowing you to spend more time in the sun, soaking up UVA rays. However, UVA rays age the skin and may contribute to the most serious form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.
This information is not new. Doctors have been worrying about the use of sunscreen since the late 1980's. What is new (and the reason for the articles) are research findings suggesting that 'free radicals' (highly reactive chemicals in human skin) are released as a response to UVA, which damages DNA. Scientists believe that this explains the rising incidence of malignant melanoma in recent years.
At present the SPF numbers only relate to a sunscreen's ability to block UVB. Expect manufacturers to develop sunscreens with effective UVA protection in the near future.
In the meantime, these findings are not a reason to stop using sunscreens (as they still help protect against damage from sunburn and two other forms of skin cancer). Just don't use sunsreeens as a means of staying in the sun all day.
See our 'sun safety ' article for information and advice.
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