Cycle helmets and sun cream

[[XAP]Bob]

Yellow teeth cause lung cancer don't ya know

[TonyR]

[quote="beardy"]
There is a possibility though that sunburn and skin cancer are triggered by slightly different types of radiation. Suncream may be filtering out something that causes sunburn (which it appears is why most people are really using it) and allowing people to remain exposed to what causes skin cancer much longer.[/quote

They are and the memory jogger I was taught for the three bands of UV radiation is (UV-)A is Alright, B burns and C kills. Its UV-C which is carcinogenic while B will give you sun burn, not cancer.

[freeflow]

A quick visit to wikipedia provides

'On 13 April 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classified all categories and wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation as a Group 1 carcinogen. This is the highest-level designation for carcinogens and means "There is enough evidence to conclude that it can cause cancer in humans".'

[TonyR]

A quick visit to wikipedia provides

'On 13 April 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classified all categories and wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation as a Group 1 carcinogen. This is the highest-level designation for carcinogens and means "There is enough evidence to conclude that it can cause cancer in humans".'

Then you should wear sun cream all the time as all daylight contains UVA which penetrates clouds and glass. So anywhere you are in daylight you are exposed to UVA. Perhaps we should all live in darkened rooms (without tungsten bulbs which also emit UVA.

[Ellieb]

^ that is what a lot of dermatologists recommend, but I suspect the level of exposure plays a part.

[freeflow]

The decision to apply sunscreen should be based on an evaluation of
A) sensitivity of your skin
B) duration of exposure
C) intensity of peak exposure
D) history of previous exposure ( probably closely related to A)

The difference between sunscreen and helmets is that the peak intensity of exposure is readily predictable. Probably no so easy to predict for helmet use:-o

[Si]

For me, when I go cycling wearing a helmet (as I have to for work) in the good weather I find I get sun burnt. Whereas when I ride without the helmet I don't. Which I think is ample proof for anyone.

[PaulCumbria]

My job means I'm out on the water all day, every day (lucky me!) If I don't wear sunscreen, I burn. Then I have to go out on the water the following day - and I burn more. Without wearing sunscreen I couldn't do my job, it's as simple as that. It has nothing to do with avoiding skin cancer and everything to do with avoiding sunburn.

I also wear polarizing sunglasses - not to avoid getting eye damage, but to avoid headaches and ensure I can see where the feck I'm going.

Sunscreen and sunglasses do very specific jobs very effectively.

Helmets don't seem to do any job effectively, apart from making money for their manufacturers and offering a simple means to persecute cyclists.

I never wear a helmet, and I think the original proposition of this thread is fallacious.

[horizon]

I never wear a helmet, and I think the original proposition of this thread is fallacious.

Yes, this is what I wanted opinions on. But so far it seems that the proposition was largely correct in that both sun cream and helmets are contentious - there is a reasonable parallel between the two in the way that they are handled: public health policy tells us to use both, common sense appears to back this up, controversy still remains.

What has really surprised me though, and I didn't expect, is that people use sun cream mainly to prevent sun burn, not skin cancer (though that may be an added bonus). I'm out of doors all the time and fair skinned but wearing a hat and gradual exposure seem to deal with sun burn.

However, there is still IMV a huge difference between the the public health message and sun cream usage by Forum members: sun cream is supposed to prevent skin cancer, not the painful inconvenience of sun burn.

[pjclinch]

However, there is still IMV a huge difference between the the public health message and sun cream usage by Forum members: sun cream is supposed to prevent skin cancer, not the painful inconvenience of sun burn.

Why does it have to be one or the other? I would suggest a lot of people are quite happy to lower their cancer risk while also avoiding the shorter-term pain of sun-burn.

And the first stop from a quick Google landed me at http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/travelhealth/Pages/SunsafetyQA.aspx which strikes me as a primary public health message and far more concerned with burning than cancer. I think you might be a bit over-keen on your helmet comparison!

Pete.

[[XAP]Bob]

Most people don't get that gentle exposure. I do nowadays, since I commute. And that's enough to build a reasonable level of protection (tan).

I've still got a spot of burn on one ear, which is annoying as it keeps reburning now (I remembered to cream it this morning)

As and when I have a holiday, I'll be on the beach and will slap it on - because it's a step up in exposure, and I burn like a meths soaked rag in a forest fire.
Cancer simply doesn't enter my conciousness...

[[XAP]Bob]

An expert explains why it is important to protect your skin from sunburn to help avoid skin cancer. She also gives advice on how to apply sunscreen correctly and what to look out for when buying sun cream.

So from that page it appears that sunburn is what is correlated with cancers, not just the act of being visible

[TonyR]

However, there is still IMV a huge difference between the the public health message and sun cream usage by Forum members: sun cream is supposed to prevent skin cancer, not the painful inconvenience of sun burn.

As far as I know, sun cream is all about getting bronzed without getting sun burn. Limiting your exposure time is another option but for some people that would restrict them to five minutes in the sun.

The clue is in names such as Ambre Solaire (Amber Sun) and Soltan.

The skin cancer thing is just a side effect of preventing sun burn and is questionable in its efficacy. The slip, slap, slop is the usual cancer prevention strategy in which the sun cream comes last.

[pjclinch]

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jun/12/skin-cancer-sun-cream-factor-research for some topical updates...

[mjr]

So what should one do while riding in the day? Thin long sleeves, high collars, thin gloves and a hat?