Devotees of sunbathing are being warned that even the most powerful sunscreens fail to protect the skin from cancer-causing UVA rays – and that the only way to stay safe is to avoid the sun’s rays completely.
Research by the medical research trust Raft has shown that while good sunscreens can protect from UVB rays, they offer only limited protection from UVA rays, which have been blamed releasing free radicals and causing the skin cancer melanoma.
The Daily Express quotes Dr Claire Linge, head of cell biology at the trust, as saying: “Sunscreens are supposed to protect against UVA as well as UVB but we found that the average SPF 30 cream only protected UVA rays by a factor of two. This is very worrying as people think they are safe from melanoma if they slap on cream. Our research proves otherwise. UVA protection needs to be as high as 30 for people to be properly protected.”
Recent figures show that nearly 6,000 people contracted melanoma last year in the UK; of those, 1,600 died. Raft summed up the situation by stating that the only way to stay safe is to avoid the sun’s rays completely.
