Skin Cancer: What Really Causes it and How to Protect Yourself

When you were a kid, there was probably not much said about sun protection. Most of us remember long, sunny days at the beach or on vacation where we got very badly sunburned, and had to sit things out for a day or two afterwards. This seemed like just a harmless regular childhood experience, until we grew up and found out that not only does sun exposure cause skin damage and skin cancer, but that the damage is cumulative, meaning that every bit of exposure to the sun's radiation we've had over our lifetimes has added onto the last. This lifetime amount along with several bad burns during childhood is said, along with certain hereditary and lifestyle factors, to put some at higher risk for skin cancer. The three most dangerous skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer and the more commonly known melanoma.In recent years, the prevailing wisdom has been that it is essential, especially for fair-skinned individuals and those out during peak hours and/or in the tropics, to wear a protective sunscreen lotion. Based on the advice of doctors and dermatologists, billions of people began buying sunscreen lotions for themselves and their kids, as skin cancer rates, even among children, began to skyrocket. But what is the cause of all this skin cancer? Is it all due to our thinning ozone layer, as most of us commonly believe? Could it be that the chemicals in sunscreens themselves have contributed somehow?When I first heard the theory that sunscreens cause skin cancer, I, like so many, was so indoctrinated in the 'sunscreen as protection' camp that the idea seemed almost heretical. The gentleman who told me about it, however, was a very thoughtful, intelligent and well-read doctor whose word I trusted. He was a curious and voracious reader, and he cited the situation in Australia as evidence and suggested I read further myself (a good sign in my books). Sunscreen was first introduced en masse, he told me, in Australia, and the ensuing climb in skin cancer rates when represented on a graph looks almost identical to the graph expressing increasing use of sunscreen. Many, many scientists, he told me, are beginning to make a connection between the harmful chemicals in most commercial sunscreens which get absorbed through our skin and the formation of skin cancers so prevalent today. This same doctor went on to tell me that sunburn allows our body's natural defences against the sun to build up, and it was the sun blister on his nose, in fact, which prompted the conversation. He will never allow his children to wear sunscreen. So what are we to do?Until the air clears, so to speak, there are other precautions we can take to protect ourselves from the strongest and most damaging of the sun's rays. We can wear protective clothing such as light, long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats, and quality sunglasses; we can stay out of the sun when it is at its strongest, and limit the duration of our exposure. We can choose natural, chemical-free sunscreen lotions.While getting some sun is undoubtedly good for us - essential in our formation of Vitamin D (which ironically enough is said to help prevent cancer) and vital for the health of our hearts and minds - we can choose to take reasonable precautions as discussed and keep our skin beautiful and healthy for many years to come.