Skin cancer is the most common and most rapidly increasing form of cancer. And, we know that skin cancer can be caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Today, we issue a warning: The sun can give you health and enjoyment. But the sun is not a toy. Use only as directed.

So before you start the barbecues, and before you pack your beach towels and the kids into the car, you have to ask yourself: Are you ready to protect your skin - and your family’s skin — from the dangers of the hot summer sun? It’s a question that we should all be asking ourselves, asking each other, especially young people.

From day one, this Administration has been reaching out to young people, trying to give them the right messages about their health - and their future. And, we’ve consistently spread the message about prevention. We have emphasized that they have the power to control their future and to live longer, healthier lives.

You have the power to prevent skin cancer. Our skin is one of a kind. It’s the only one we’ll ever have.

Once you get to be my age, you learn that the fountain of youth, is not a mythical island off the coast. It’s not the stuff with the exotic name that they sell in the herbal store down at the mall. It’s not the latest concoction being marketed on the web stores in cyberspace. The closest thing we have to the fountain of youth is a three part formula: it’s prevention, prevention and more prevention.

That’s our message for skin cancer, but for life in general. If you take care of yourself today, especially your skin, you will definitely see the results tomorrow. It’s easy. You just have to choose your cover: You can protect your skin with sunscreen. You can cover yourself with a hat or clothing. You can find shade or just avoid the hot, midday sun altogether. If you don’t abuse your skin, if you protect it as you should, your risk of getting skin cancer will go down. That’s the most important reason to protect your skin, but it’s not the only reason: You will have less freckles, less wrinkles, and a healthier skin overall.

The message is simple: To protect the skin you are in, choose your cover.

Are longer than UVB rays, and penetrate deeper into the skin.

High doses cause tanning.

Cause wrinkles and premature aging of skin.

May cause burning and may be potentially carcinogenic.

Cause sunburn.

Are shorter and stronger than UVA rays, and are mainly absorbed by the skin’s surface.

May cause malignant tumors, such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas and melanoma.

"You can’t just put on any old shirt and expect it to protect you," says Dr. Julian Menter, Research Professor of Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. "Fabrics can differ greatly in their ability to shield you from UV radiation."

The ideal sun protective fabrics are lightweight and comfortable and protect against exposure even when wet. Sun protective clothing products that make explicit medical or health-related claims including their prevention of specific conditions such as skin cancer are considered to be medical devices by the FDA.

The risk in the United States for malignant melanoma keeps rising-from 1 in 15.000 in 1935 to a projected 1 in 75 by the year 2000. The reasons may include the increased popularity of outdoor leisure activity and the interest in acquiring a tan.

In an experiment with mice, Dr. Menter and his associates compared typical summer clothing fabric with the solar-protective fabric, a tightly woven proprietary synthetic. With an SPF of 6.5, the cotton fabric protected mice against short-term UV effects but failed to protect against long-term skin damage. In fact, the incidence of tumors in these mice was comparable to those mice receiving no UV protection. Mice protected by the solar-protective fabric showed no sign of skin damage.

Why sun protective clothing?

What is wrong with my favorite t-shirt and my baseball cap?

Independent laboratory tests have shown that many typical cotton t-shirts can allow 50% of harmful ultraviolet rays through to your skin when dry. If the shirt is wet it transmits 10% to 20% more UV rays. A sun sensitive individual risks serious skin injury if exposed to the sun.

What do doctors say about sun protective clothing?

Doctors recommend sun protective clothing as another tool to be used with sunscreens to promote healthy skin.

Why not just use sunscreen?

Sunscreen rubs off, sweats off and fades away making it necessary to reapply it regularly. A small percentage of the population may also be bothered by some of the active ingredients in sunscreen products.

We recommend that sunscreen be applied to all exposed areas of the skin that the clothing does not cover. This means no more sticky arms, legs and shoulders - and a saving on the cost of sunscreen over time.

When do I need to practice sun protection?

Sun protection must be a lifelong process. Research indicates that 78% of sun exposure occurs prior to age 18. According to medical research, a blistering sunburn before age 20 can double a child’s chances of developing melanoma. Skin damage from the sun is cumulative. You are never too old to begin protecting yourself.

But I tan easily. Do I still need protection?

There is no such thing as a healthy tan. A suntan, not to mention a sunburn, is an indicator of skin damage by the sun. A sunburn results from the pigmentation change of melanin. This is how the body reacts to protect itself from further skin damage. You may see the sunburn disappear after a few days and think that you skin has gone back to normal. However, the damage is permanent. The long term health effects include photo aging and the increased risk of skin cancer.

What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?

B is for burning

UVB radiation is by far the most powerful and potentially harmful. UVB mainly affects the outer layers of our skin it is thought to be the prime cause of sunburn, delayed tanning, skin aging and cancer. UVB is strongest in Canada in the summer months, less in spring in fall and the least in winter. UVB is also the strongest in the summer months between the times of 11:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A is for aging

UVA rays, while not as powerful as UVB, penetrate more deeply into the skin and are responsible for immediate tanning. UVA radiation contributes to premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. These rays are with us all year round and throughout the day. UVA is prevalent in tanning parlors.

There are a number of factors which affect how much protection fabrics provide from harmful ultra violet radiation (UVR). They are:

Weave:

The weave, or construction of the fabric is the main factor affecting how much UVR comes through the fabric. Tightly woven fabrics give better protection than loosely woven ones.

Color:

The color is the next important factor. Darker colored fabrics let less UVR through than lighter colored ones of the same type.

Weight:

The weight of the material is a less important factor. If the construction of the fabric is identical, the weightier fabric lets less UVR through. However, lightweight, closely woven fabrics can provide higher UVR protection than heavyweight, loosely woven fabrics.

Stretch:

Most woven fabrics are stable and difficult to stretch. Fabrics with the greatest stretch offer less protection from UVR than fabrics with less stretch.

Wetness:

The amount of UVR protection from a fabric provides can change when the fabric is wet. Wet fabric can decrease its UVR protection by as much as 50%. This is particularly true of cotton.

What is UPF?

This is the way that clothing is rated in the new AS/NV standard for sun protective clothing AS/NVS4399: 1996. Some fabrics and clothing now carry labels with the UPF numbers, which give you the Ultra Violet Protection Factor of the clothing.

To reduce the risk of skin cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that people (1) limit or avoid exposure to the sun between 10 am and 4 pm during peak ultraviolet light exposure, (2) when outdoors cover as much skin as possible with hats and protective clothing, and (3) use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. In addition, children should be protected at all times from the sun.

This position is in concert with that of the American Academy of Dermatology, whose recommendations are that "sunscreen is beneficial when used regularly as a part of an overall sun protection program including wearing sun-protective clothing, sunglasses, seeking shade whenever possible, and avoiding exposure during peak sun hours."

During the last two to three decades, the incidence of skin cancer has increased alarmingly. The increase parallels the changing lifestyles of most Americans, which permit increased, mostly recreational, exposure to the harmful effects of sunlight.

Melanoma now ranks sixth in incidence among cancers in males and seventh in incidence among cancer in females. Im 1960, 1 in every 1,500 Americans was expected to develop one or more cutaneous melanomas during his or her lifetime. In the year 2000 that figure is estimated to increase to 1 in every 70.7. Melanoma is the most common cancer in women between the ages of 25 and 35.8.

Considerable scientific evidence exists to support the role of sunlight in he development of skin cancer, including malignant melanoma. Cutaneous cancers (including melanoma) tend to occur in a well defined subset of the population, presently characterized as having fair skin that burns rather than tans, light colored eyes, and red or blonde hair. Other associated factors include heredity and the environment.

Most skin cancer experts believe that non-melanoma skin cancers are preventable if the susceptible individual follows a regular program of sun protection, including the appropriate use of sunscreens. The evidence for malignant melanoma is not so clear cut. It is developing rapidly enough , however, for most experts to suggest that sunscreens, especially those that block the tanning spectrum of the sun, be an integral part of a program for prevention of melanoma.