Skin cancer - sailing in Scotland

[dgadee]

Sun exposure is a big issue living mainly in the Caribbean as I do. There is a bit of a paradox and a dilemma here. A good way to get good levels of vitamin D is from sun exposure and high levels of vitamin D protects the skin to a degree from the UV damage, which we don’t want. I solved this in recent years on an experiment with myself. I had rather sensitive skin and would burn easily, so kept in the shade most of my life, covered up and wore factor 50 sunscreen. Then I changed, I take high doses of vitamin D when the sun is too weak to produce vitamin D, I expose myself to the sun unprotected regularly (but not enough to burn). I have a moderate tan also, but the bottom line is I don’t burn anymore on the times I am too long in the sun (which I still limit), all the more extraordinary as I use no sunscreen now. I have a hugely increased resistance to sunburn.

Thank you for being prepared to be a guinea pig for future generations.

 

[oldbloke]

I suspect most of us on here are too old to worry much about cancer inducing behaviours. What we did in our younger lives is more important.However, I don't know how much longer Zing expects to be around but if more than 10yrs I suspect he is being a bit brave.
Anywhere south of 37 degrees N will have sufficiently high energy UVB at any time of the year and exposing the upper body for 15 mins is sufficient.

 

[Zing]

Anywhere south of 37 degrees N will have sufficiently high energy UVB at any time of the year and exposing the upper body for 15 mins is sufficient.

You have to live there and most don’t. What’s more if you do live there you have to expose skin and people don’t. 40% of Floridians are deficient in vitamin D in a study I just read.

 

[SaltyC]

I suspect most of us on here are too old to worry much about cancer inducing behaviours. What we did in our younger lives is more important.However, I don't know how much longer Zing expects to be around but if more than 10yrs I suspect he is being a bit brave.
Anywhere south of 37 degrees N will have sufficiently high energy UVB at any time of the year and exposing the upper body for 15 mins is sufficient.

greed, it is always a concern.Well not in your 20's when you are invincible.

As you say, I suspect many of us are of an age, where we (our parents) didn't fully understand the implications of turning a nice shade of Lobster.

I then, fair skinned, spent 10 years in the tropics - sun worshipping when not working. Yes, I now tan quicker than most fair skinned people, the body adjusts????

About 10 years ago, sailing North in the Irish sea in April, downwind, sunny, topless leaning on the sprayhood my lower back 'caught the sun' it burnt, OUCH!

5 years later diagnosed with a melanoma, even at 53 Degrees in early Spring you are vulnerable.

 

[SaltyC]

You have to live there and most don’t. What’s more if you do live there you have to expose skin and people don’t. 40% of Floridians are deficient in vitamin D in a study I just read.

Gently does it?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Susceptibly to melanoma can be increased if there is a family history of it. I assume the opposite is true, hence risk might not be just down to exposure to the sun.

If your tanning your experiencing uv damage.

 

[ylop]

I wear contact lenses whilst sailing and they have UV protection built in.

Do they come with a certification of some sort? Mrs Ylop had/has some which claimed to be UV something or other - but if you read the small print it said “still need sunglasses”!

Susceptibly to melanoma can be increased if there is a family history of it. I assume the opposite is true,

I don’t think the logic follows like that!

 

[Zing]

Susceptibly to melanoma can be increased if there is a family history of it. I assume the opposite is true, hence risk might not be just down to exposure to the sun.

If your tanning your experiencing uv damage.

It’s not just sun exposure. People get melanomas on parts that the sun never reaches.

 

[oldbloke]

Cancer Research UK has a very good site about melanoma which I will not try to precis.
It confirms my understanding that rrisk of melanoma is associated with episodes of burning rather than chronic exposure. Unlike basal cell and squamous cel cancers which are definitely chronic exposure. Also fat men have a higher risk but not fat women, ( the assumption being that fat women are less likely to strip off to sunbathe!. If only the fat men would follow suit

 

[Chris_Robb]

Just a gentle warning as it seemed so unlikely. I recently had a skin cancer removed from my forehead. The dermatologist's initial reaction was "where did you get all the sun - sailing?"
Well yes, almost five decades of sailing, but mostly north and west Scotland, plus west Norway, a few weeks in Denmark, and a few passages the length of Britain.
Its not just me, someone else I knew who also did most of his sailing in the north of Scotland and Scandinavia lost bits from both of his ears to skin cancer.

We are both OK now, but do take care.

Do you slap factor 50 over you? If that's the case is cutting the levels of uvb to zero so you are not producing vitamin D, so essential in the prevention of skin cancers. Use the regime, no factor 5o and expose your self to the sun for 30mins day 1 increasing every day. Do not block uvb totally from your body, it desperately needs it. Check your levels to the must be above 100 mmol not 50 as the dear d out of date NHS think.

 

[Chris_Robb]

It’s not just sun exposure. People get melanomas on parts that the sun never reaches.

What a load of old balls.... not

 

[srm]

Do you slap factor 50 over you? If that's the case is cutting the levels of uvb to zero so you are not producing vitamin D, so essential in the prevention of skin cancers. Use the regime, no factor 5o and expose your self to the sun for 30mins day 1 increasing every day. Do not block uvb totally from your body, it desperately needs it. Check your levels to the must be above 100 mmol not 50 as the dear d out of date NHS think.

Factor 50 is a relatively new thing (at least in my limited experience). It was not around when I was young, nor when I started sailing. I was fortunate in rarely burning, just getting brown. I remember trying to get sun tan cream late one April during the mid 70's in a London suburb before flying out to the Persian Gulf for work at the usual one day notice. "Sorry we don't have any in yet, its not summer". More recently I rely more on my Tilly hat (I wore the first out and got a free replacement) and rarely expose much skin rather than slathering potions and lotions.