WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED SUNSCREEN MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO PROTECT KIDS AND ADULTS.

Byline: Mariko Thompson Staff Writer

As a kid, Shaun Hughes wanted to look as bronzed as a Southern California surfer. The Seattle native slathered on cocoa butter and baby oil to achieve that golden skin tone. But at age 26, he paid the price.

Hughes, an avid outdoorsman, was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma on his back. Lucky enough to survive this deadly form of skin cancer, the UCLA alumnus then put his master's degree in business administration to use by starting his own line of sun-protective clothing.

``Up to 80 percent of a person's lifetime sun (damage) occurs prior to age 18,'' says 47-year-old Hughes, the founder and president of Sun Precautions. ``If you can provide a convenient, easy solution that kids feel normal wearing, you go a long way to preventing that long-term sun injury.''

Much to dermatologists' dismay, the American love affair with the tan continues. Despite warnings about sun exposure and frightening skin cancer statistics, Americans have yet to embrace sun protection measures - beyond applying what dermatologists say is an insufficient amount of sunscreen.

``Most people think the beginning and the end is sunscreen,'' says Dr. Jeff Ashley, a dermatologist with Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. ``We have to give more thought to covering up. Lightweight, well-ventilated clothing to keep the sun off will work more effectively than sunscreen and is less of a nuisance.''

Doctors diagnose more than 1.5 million cases of skin cancer every year. Most worrisome to dermatologists is that the number of new cases continues to grow, even though most people know sun damage is to blame. Dr. James Spencer, a dermatologist at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, says skin cancer used to be a disease that primarily afflicted the elderly. These days, it's increasingly common to see skin cancer patients in their 20s, he says.

Of concern to Spencer is the number of teens who expose themselves to ultraviolet rays through indoor tanning. A national study by the American Academy of Dermatology found that 47 percent of 18- and 19-year-old women have gone to a tanning salon three or more times.

For young people, the short-term gain in appearance seems to outweigh the long-term health risk. Another study found that more than 90 percent of college students who had gone to a tanning salon knew the UV exposure could lead to skin cancer, Spencer says.

``Our public health message is failing,'' Spencer says. ``I don't know the answer.''

Besides the current aesthetic value placed on tanning, the sun-protection message is also competing against the misconception that applying sunscreen erases the risk of skin cancer. The problem is most people apply less than half of the amount needed to achieve the sun protection factor listed on the bottle. Adults need 1 ounce of sunscreen to cover the body. If an adult spent a day at the beach and reapplied sunscreen every two hours, that person would use an entire 4-ounce bottle, Ashley says.

``If you have large areas of skin exposed, that's a lot of sunscreen to put on,'' he says.

Dermatologists don't want to discourage people from using sunscreen. They would prefer to see people wear sun-protective clothing, swimwear and wide-brimmed hats and then use liberal amounts of sunscreen on any areas that remain exposed.

Though some people try to cover up by wearing T-shirts at the beach, the weave isn't tight enough to block the sun's rays. The alternative, which hasn't yet gone mainstream, is to buy sun-protective clothing. In a push to make such clothing more appealing, companies are using bright colors and modeling their designs on the surfer look.

Hughes launched Sun Precautions in 1992 after his Solumbra clothing line received approval as a medical device from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company was fueled by word-of-mouth from doctors and dermatologists and also relied on Internet sales. Hughes opened the first Sun Precautions store in San Diego in 1997. His Santa Monica store opened in 2001 (www.sunprecautions.com).

``We want to make people feel normal and to feel attractive,'' Hughes says. ``We're not Paris runway high fashion. We're athletic leisure wear that's comfortable and ventilated.''

Consumers will see more sun-protective clothing this summer in outlets like Target, Wal-Mart and major drug store chains. Coppertone is promoting its brand of UV-protective swimwear for children. The Australian brand Radicool also has moved into the U.S. market.

Radicool makes a wetsuit-style one-piece for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. For kids over the age of 5, the company offers a swimshirt - surfers call them rash guards - that's worn with board shorts, says Chip Carter, the U.S. distributor of Radicool.

``It's not a dorky thing to do,'' Carter says. ``The kids know surfers wear them.''

Spencer says it's going to take more of that kind of innovative thinking to turn the tide in the battle against skin cancer.

``That's the kind of solution where the kids can feel cool,'' Spencer says. ``They're having fun and they're protected. That's a smart public health measure that we can live with.''

Mariko Thompson, [phone]

mariko.thompson(at)dailynews.com

How to be sun savvy

Dermatologists say sun-protective clothing and swimwear offer greater protection than sunscreen alone. Radicool swimwear offers a sun protection factor of 190 when dry and 126 when wet (www.radicoolaustralia.com or www.sunprotectionzone.com). Sun Precautions produces the Solumbra clothing line, which starts at SPF 30 (www.sunprecautions.com). Coppertone's Sunwise swimwear provides SPF 50 (www.sunwiseswimwear.com).

Though popular, baseball caps don't provide adequate sun protection since they leave the neck, ears and most of the face exposed. Look for a broad-brimmed hat or a Legionnaire's cap with a flap in the back.

Wear UV-protective sunglasses to reduce the risk of cataracts.

Get in the habit of checking the UV index every day and taking precautions when the levels are moderate or above. The index, which predicts the intensity levels of ultraviolet rays, isn't tied to temperature. A cool day can have a high UV index rating and a warm day can have a low UV index rating. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/sunwise.

Use a sunscreen that blocks out both UVA and UVB rays with a minimum SPF 15. Slather on sunscreen before going outdoors. A good rule of thumb is to apply twice as much sunscreen as you're accustomed to using. An adult should use about one ounce of sunscreen to cover the body. Be sure to reapply every two hours.

Limit how much time you spend in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and seek shade when possible.

For babies under six months, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding sun exposure. To prevent sunburn, dress infants in lightweight pants, long-sleeve shirts and brimmed hats. If necessary, it's OK to apply a small amount of sunscreen to their faces and the backs of their hands.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Sunny side up

Save your child's skin with sunscreen and protective clothing

(2) Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen can provide some protection against harmful rays, but don't skimp when applying the protective lotions.

(3) Special UV-resistant swimsuits can protect the little ones while they're at the beach or pool.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

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How to be sun savvy (see text)