Is the sun all bad?
Absolutely not. Have you noticed the smiles on your fellow commuters' faces this morning, and the spring in your colleagues' steps? It's that feelgood factor that comes with the first rays of summer and elusive though its benefits may be, senior dermatologist Dr Charlotte Proby, who works for the Barts and London NHS Trust and is a researcher for Cancer Research UK, confirms that doctors believe in it too. What's more, they know that exposure to UV light is the most efficient way our bodies have of making Vitamin D, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and some common cancers. The problem is that doctors hotly dispute how important this Vitamin D-fix is: the jury is out on whether we are getting enough sunshine.
How long can I go outside for without sunblock?
Not as long as you think. Proby says we only need between three and five minutes to get our Vitamin D top-up. Your body will make Vitamin D even if you are wearing sunblock, although the higher the Sun Protection Factor (SPF), the longer you will take to make it. But don't scrimp on the lotion: UV rays can be as intense in May as in August, even though you won't be feeling as hot. "I would recommend wearing suncream on exposed areas such as your face and hands from around the time the clocks change, to the time they change back - something between a SPF of 30 and 60, depending on your skin type," says Proby.
What's healthier - sunshine or sunbed?
The good news about sunbeds is that the rays are mostly UVA, and it's UVB rays that are the main cancer culprits. On the other hand, says Dr Neil Walker, consultant dermatologist at the Oxford Radcliffe and a researcher for the British Skin Foundation, that doesn't rule out any risk whatsoever because UVA rays aren't totally benign, and if you are hopping on and off a sunbed three times a week you need a rethink. Sunbed rays penetrate more deeply than sun rays, so if you are thinking about future wrinkles, steer well clear: minute for minute, a sunbed will age your skin more than a lounger by the pool.
Are freckles a sign of skin damage?
Yes: and if you notice them a few days after being out in the sun, take heed. Freckles are your skin's early warning system: they are telling you your skin isn't coping well with the sunlight. Cover up or slap on more sunscreen: further exposure will leave you with solar lentigos, those unsightly flat brown lesions. And note, too, that in areas where you develop those lesions, you will be at extra risk of skin cancer, so be vigilant.
How long after sun damage does skin cancer show up?
It's a moot point: doctors simply aren't sure. What is known, says Proby, is that atypical moles (ones that are large, irregularly-coloured, irregularly-shaped) are more likely to turn into malignant melanomas, and that sun damage may be a trigger. It's change you are looking out for: if a mole changes, get it checked out and, ideally, have it removed. Children's skin is thinner and particularly vulnerable to sun damage, and there is research linking sunburn in childhood with a greater risk of skin cancer in adult life, so keeping youngsters covered up, in the shade and wearing sunscreen is important.
Is sun damage to the skin reversible?
Alas, there's no evidence of anything you can do to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer after decades of spit-roasting yourself in the Med once a year. But where the ageing illeffects are concerned, the story is brighter: retinoids, available as creams on prescription, do seem to have the potential to reverse some of the wrinkles caused by too much sunshine.
How can you minimise the damage if you burn?
Moisturise and splurge on that aftersun, or any other emollient cream you have to hand. It won't change the fact that you have destroyed the top layer of skin on the affected region, but it will mean that the new skin cells your body makes to replace them will be as healthy and moist as possible. Unfortunately, though, even an entire bottle of after-sun won't change the fact that exposure to UV may have damaged your skin's DNA, which is what leads to skin cancer. So, best of all, don't burn in the first place.
Is the ozone hole making the sunshine more potent?
Yes: the thinning ozone layer has meant UV levels over the UK have increased in recent years. In the longterm, steps have now been taken to reduce and eventually repair the hole over the Antarctic that was discovered in 1985 - but the bad news is that the repair won't start until around 2010, and scientists think it will be four to five decades before it is completely patched up. Meanwhile malignant melanoma is already on the increase, and its incidence trebled between 1975 and 2003, making it the country's fastest-growing cancer. Around 8,000 new cases are diagnosed annually.
Does skin cancer run in families?
It can, although that may be partly to do with relatives tending to have similar skin types, and maybe a similar pattern of sun exposure, rather than because of a genetic link. Doctors know there is a genetic marker for skin cancer, and if you have several close family members who have had melanoma, you will be at slightly higher risk of developing it yourself.
But what factor should you use?
Though every year seems to see suncream manufacturers upping the ante with ever-higher factors (SPF100 can only be a couple of years off), the fact remains that no suncream offers total protection against the sun. The only way to be absolutely sure of reducing your melanoma risk is to keep indoors, or at least in the shade.
When choosing a product, don't be blinded by fancy packaging, or assume that with price comes increased protection. According to Cancer Research, cheap creams are just as effective as expensive brands as they are all tested in the same way. Look for a product which protects against both UVA and UVB radiation from the sun. This may be labelled "broad spectrum" - the stars displayed on the label indicate how much UVA protection is offered, ranging from 0 (low) to 5 (high). The British Association of Dermatology (BAD) says that an SPF between 15 and 30 will suit most people and will provide a good level of UV protection if applied adequately.
There are products, such as P60, that advertise themselves as offering all-day protection if applied first thing in the morning. But a spokesperson for the BAD says "Most dermatologists agree that sunscreens with an SPF of above 30 don't offer a great deal of additional protection to those of SPF 30, and can be harder to apply and more expensive."
