The Sunscreen Issue

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The Sunscreen Issue

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Question - Research required

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I have a fair skinned 15 month old baby and trying to reconcile some studies I have found on sun exposure while I determine when to let her play outside freely, keep her in the shade, or slather the annoyingly thick zinc sunscreen on her.

She has never been sunburned but she is starting to develop a gradual tan. I know sunburns are associated with cancer.

My question is mainly- is there evidence that tanning from gradual sun exposure causes cancer?

Here are the studies I've found that seem to point to the contrary:

Is prevention of cancer by sun exposure more than just the effect of vitamin D? A systematic review of epidemiological studies

" These findings are discussed and it is concluded that the evidence that sunlight is a protective factor for colorectal-, prostate-, breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is still accumulating."

Use of sunscreen and risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

"While the current evidence suggests no increased risk of skin cancer related to sunscreen use, this systematic review does not confirm the expected protective benefits of sunscreen against skin cancer in the general population."

Sunlight, vitamin D and the prevention of cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies

"We, therefore, conclude that there is accumulating evidence for sunlight as a protective factor for several types of cancer. "

Very open to any thoughts on this! I know it's a controversial topic.

Comments

AprilStorms

… tanning is a sign of skin damage […] it is evidence of DNA injury to your skin. Tanning damages your skin cells and speeds up visible signs of aging. Worst of all, tanning can lead to skin cancer.

However, as you pointed out, sunlight is protective against some other diseases!

My attempt to find a happy medium is: hat and sunglasses (for grownups too, model what you want to see) whenever it is bright out, sunscreen if the UV index is above like two or we’re going to be out for a while, and try to adjust my schedule so outside time is in the morning or evening when the UV is lower.

My skin is fairly sensitive, so in the summer I tend to also wear a loose, light outer layer over a darker undershirt. The outer layer reflects sunlight to keep me from getting too hot and the inner layer blocks UV better. It also keeps the mosquitoes off, which is a big plus.

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Blueberry-Smoothiee

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Posted: 4 months ago
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