‘Sun,’ ‘safety,’ and ‘skin care’ go hand-in-hand throughout life; a dermatologist explains why it’s never too late.

"S" is for sun. It’s also for "safety" and "skin care." And the relationship between the three represents a lifelong challenge.

Many people over 50, who spent long summers of their childhood and youth basking on beaches and toasting their bodies on backyard lawn chairs in pursuit of the perfect bronze tan, may think that sun damage has already been done and they must live with the results.

Not so, says Waterloo, Ont. dermatologist Dr. Ken Kobayashi.

"I tell virtually all my patients that it’s never too late to start using good sun protection."

While it’s true, he says, that sunburns early in life may create a greater risk for developing melanoma, the most serious and potentially fatal of the skin cancers, it’s equally true that ongoing chronic exposure is the primary risk factor for other types – the basal-cell and squamous-cell cancers.

Basal cell is the most common type of skin cancer, followed by squamous cell, and both occur most often on areas of the body that get repeated sun exposure – the head and neck, upper chest and back, arms and, for women, often on the legs, the result of those summers in mini-skirts and shorts, says Kobayashi.

So reducing sun exposure and maximizing protection, at any age, will reduce the ongoing risk of cancer, he says.

It will also give the skin a better opportunity to recover from damage that may already have occurred. The skin has an inherent ability to repair sun damage but with age that slows down, he explains. Thus, if a person continues to get the same amount of exposure as the repair capability decreases, it’s a double whammy.

In addition to this, many retirees in the 50-plus population spend more time pursuing outdoor recreational activities and many spend part of the year in the sunny south, where exposure may be more intense.

Kobayashi constantly sees proof of the benefits of sun protection in his patients. "I have some patients in their 80s and 90s who started to adopt a good sun-protection program maybe 10 or 15 years ago. And whereas earlier in their lives they may have had 10 or 15 skin cancers removed, in the past four or five years, they’ve only had maybe one or two."

People who have had a lifetime of sun exposure often have some type of skin cancer and Kobayashi says all are treatable if caught early enough. Basal cell does not spread into the body and squamous cell will eventually spread but, at the same time, its appearance on the skin will change, making it more visible. Neither will transform into melanoma, the most insidious cancer which can spread through the body with fewer visible changes on the skin’s surface.

Protective measures are the same for all ages, Kobayashi says. One of the most important is using a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 and one labelled "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB," which screens out the most ultra-violet light. He says the sunscreen should also be water resistant and be applied liberally and often – "most of us don’t put on enough sunscreen" – particularly if swimming or perspiring.

Other forms of protection include clothing with long sleeves, long pants and hats.

Finally, Kobayashi says, people should be aware that the sun’s rays are strongest and most dangerous between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If it’s not possible to stay out of the sun during that time, extra measures of the other precautions should be taken.