Sizzling summer days bring sunscreen misconceptions.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

Desta Pratt understands the risks of sun exposure.

The Eugene mother of two is careful to keep her two kids Garrett, 4, and Delaney, 5, well-coated with sunscreen when they're out having fun in the sun as they were recently on a cloudless day at Richardson Park.

"I really focus on the face, shoulders and torso. Everything from the waist up," Pratt said, clutching a jumbo bottle of SPF 30 sunscreen. "I don't want them to get burnt and have skin damage."

Pratt says she's been fortunate that her children have never suffered serious sunburns, a fact she attributes to her vigilant application of sunscreen. She is careful to reapply sunscreen after her kids climb out of the water and tries not to skimp on the amount she uses.

According to the experts, Pratt is doing all the right things. The benefits of sunscreen may be well known, but dermatologists say many of us are misusing it - either not applying enough, not applying it often enough or not applying the right kinds of sunscreen. And increasingly, they are saying that even the best sunscreens on the market are not the magic bullets many people make them out to be.

"There isn't any sunscreen that offers you 100 percent protection," says Eric Olson, a dermatologist with offices in Eugene and Springfield. "People have a false sense of security when it comes to sunscreen. What I tell them is you really need to combine it with good common sense and clothing protection."

If more people wore shade-providing hats, Olson says, many of the problems associated with sun exposure would be solved, given the fact that 80 percent of all skin cancers occur on the head and neck.

If the mention of the word "cancer" doesn't get people's attention, Olson says, appealing to their sense of vanity often does. Wrinkles are another common result of excessive sun exposure and staying in the shade is one of the most effective steps people can take to prevent premature aging.

But not everyone is willing to stay out of the sun. And when it comes to sunscreen, there's a confusing array of options available. The issue of sunscreen labeling has even prompted a class action lawsuit now in Los Angeles Superior court alleging that some manufacturers are misleading consumers with false claims. The suit charges that some "waterproof" sunscreens wear off faster than advertised and that some sunscreens advertised as "broad-spectrum" sunscreens do not offer the kind of protection they promise.

The evidence that sunscreens are not a cure-all against the cancer-causing effects of the sun can be seen in the medical statistics, which show skin cancer to be a worsening epidemic. There are an estimated 1 million to 1.8 million new cases of skin cancer each year. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 62,000 melanoma cases and 7,900 deaths this year.

Even so, dermatologists say, short of staying out of the sun or covering up, sunscreen is still the best first line of defense. They recommend applying sunscreen a half-hour before going outdoors and reapplying every two hours or after swimming or perspiring, even on cloudy days. Most dermatologists suggest a "broad-spectrum" sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 for basic protection. Many experts say anything over 30 SPF is overkill.

Sunscreens labeled as "broad spectrum" are a hot topic these days. The term stems from the two types of harmful sun rays, UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are the burning rays which are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer and UVA rays penetrate deeper into the base layer of the skin.

The SPF system used by sunscreen manufacturers primarily measures UVB protection, but doesn't measure the amount of protection a product provides from UVA rays, which can cause immunosuppression or the weakening of the body's ability to protect itself from cancer and other diseases. This means that even though a person is getting adequate UVB protection, UVA rays can still cause unseen damage beneath the skin's surface, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says.

Even some lotions labeled as broad-spectrum sunscreens do not provide adequate UVA protection and, at the moment, there is no Food and Drug Administration approved rating system that identifies UVA protection. Until such a system is developed, dermatologists recommend looking for sunscreens with at least one broad-spectrum ingredient. The list of acceptable additives includes benzopheneones (oxybenzone), cinnamates (octylmethly cinnamate and cinoxate), sulisobenzone, salicylates, titanium dioxide and avobenzone (Parsol 1789). Zinc oxide, the white sticky paste lifeguards used to wear on their noses, is another ingredient on the list and it's now available in invisible formulas.

One of the most common sunscreen mistakes, dermatologists say, is not applying enough lotion. Rather than applying a dollop or two, the AAD recommends applying at least one ounce of sunscreen (enough to fill a shot glass) to ensure all exposed areas are covered.

When it comes to protecting children, the AAD says sun prevention is extremely important because we get about 80 percent of our total lifetime sun exposure in the first 18 years of our lives. And even though many parents such as Desta Pratt may not be willing to follow the AAD's advice about avoiding the sun entirely between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., they do seem to be getting the message about protecting kids now to avoid problems later.

"I don't mind them being in the sun," Pratt said. "But I really don't want them to get fried and burnt ... I'm a lot more careful about making sure they're (protected)."

SUNSCREEN MYTHS

Waterproof: Most waterproof sunscreen is not really waterproof. Sunscreens should be reapplied after swimming or sweating. The Food and Drug administration has even proposed replacing the term "waterproof" with the more accurate term "water resistant."

SPF: Applying a sunscreen with twice the SPF number won't provide twice the protection from the sun's harmful rays. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, an SPF 15 absorbs about 93 percent of the sun's burning rays, while an SPF 30 provides 97 percent absorption.

Allergies: If you think you might be allergic to sunscreen, remember there are many types on the market. Dermatologists say only a small percentage of people are allergic to all of them. Sunscreens with a higher alcohol content may appeal to people who don't like greasy lotions. Products marked "noncomedogenic" may be less likely to clog pores.

Cancer and sunscreen: The claim that sunscreen contributes to cancer by encouraging people to spend more time in the sun is false, dermatologists say. While most experts agree that sunscreen is not a magic bullet, research has shown that heavy sunscreen use lowers the risk of squamous skin cell cancer and reduces the number of moles, which can turn cancerous later.