Find out if you know how to really protect your skin from the sun.
Since I go outside only for daily routine activities, such as walking the dog and driving to work, I cannot get skin cancer.
True False
Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the United States.
True False
Since I do not have a sunburn, I did not damage my skin.
True False
Up to 95% of the UV rays that reach the skin are UVA rays.
True False
Unlike UVB, UVA rays can pass through clouds (even in the winter).
True False
I am protected from UVA rays when driving in the car and sitting in my office.
True False
UVA rays cause up to 80% of skin aging.
True False
UVA rays have been linked to skin cancer.
True False
A high SPF level on a product label indicates a great sunscreen with high UVA protection.
True False
An SPF 30 product blocks twice as many UV rays as an SPF 15.
True False
Quiz results:
False
Dermatologists say even brief daily sun exposure over a period of time can cause significant skin damage. Even though UVA rays usually do not cause a burn, UVA rays still pass through car windows, office windows, and clouds - even in the winter. Such cumulative, everyday sun exposure has been linked to squamous cell cancer. Although not as dangerous as melanoma, squamous cell cancer is still believed to be the cause of up to 20% of skin cancer deaths.
True
In 2006, the American Cancer Society is expecting doctors to diagnose an estimated 1.3 million cases of basal and squamous cell cancers as well as 51,000 cases of melamona - the deadliest form of skin cancer. The good news is that taking a few preventive measures, such as consistent application of an effective sunscreen, reduces your chances of acquiring skin cancer - not to mention other forms of sun damage.
False
While a sunburn indicates skin damage from UVB rays, physical damage from UVA rays may not be immediately apparent. The lack of a sunburn (which acts as a alarm) is dangerous and may give you a false feeling of safety, encouraging you to prolong your time in the sun. Remember, a tan itself is evidence of sun damage, and the skin aging effects from UVA rays are cumulative and appear over time.
True
UVA rays are much more numerous than UVB rays. Out of all the UV rays that reach the skin, only 5% are UVB (290nm to 320nm) and up to 95% are UVA (320nm to 400nm) rays.
True
UVA rays are much more numerous than UVB. Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays pass through clouds, harming your skin even in the winter months when you might feel “sun-safe”. While UVB radiation drops sharply in the winter, UVA radiation remains relatively steady. In fact, the summer period accounts for less than 50% of the UVA radiation one is exposed to throughout the year.
False
Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays penetrate through windows as well as most kinds of glass. Be sure to protect yourself by applying an effective UVA sunscreen while driving in the car, or at the office, home, and even on the plane! Clinical evidence demonstrates acute sun damage in individuals, such as cab drivers and school teachers, who acquired more wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and skin sagging on the exposed sides of their faces and arms.
True
Unlike UVB rays that mostly remain at the epidermis (top layer of skin), UVA rays penetrate deeper into the dermis(base layer of skin) and may damage elastin and collagen fibers, causing premature skin aging.Skin aging includes wrinkles, lines, leathering, dark spots, lack of firmness, and uneven skin tone.
True
In the last decade, clinical evidence suggests that UVA rays cause immunosuppression - or the weakening of the body’s ability to protect itself from cancer and other diseases. Thus, UVA rays actively participate in causing skin cancer, including melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer.
False
Since SPF (Sun Protecion Factor) measures only UVB protection, and not UVA protection, it is only half the story. There is no official standard in the US yet for measuring UVA protection, so products can claim “broad-spectrum” protection even when they have minimal UVA protection.Ensure you have enough UVB protection by selecting a product with at least SPF15, and high UVA protection by reading the product label for a combination of both Mexoryl SX and Parsol 1789 (Avobenzone).
False
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is NOT proportional to the UVB protection level. An SPF 15 product protects against 93% of UVB rays, while an SPF 30 only gives you an additional 4% protection. The key to improved sun protection is therefore generous and repeated application (every two hours).
