The Sunscreen Controversy: Sunscreen, skin cancer risk, and malignant melanoma? What's the deal?

I've heard from many places that sunscreen can lower you chances of skin cancer. Then you hear that the FDA concludes that sunscreen alone doesn't do anything to prevent skin cancer. Then you hear others that say that sunscreen may even increase the likelihood of malignant melanoma, the most lethal of the three types of skin cancer, and that there's a difference between the underlying processes that cause sunburn and malignant melanoma and that stopping sunburn doesn't stop the latter of the two. They say that sunscreen helps prevent the two most common types of skin cancer, but may aggravate the most lethal of the three because of what it does with free radicals in the skin. So, what's the scoop on all this? If you get a sunscreen that not only blocks UVB but also UVA rays and apply it every two hours no matter what, would you still have this problem? What does one do to protect themselves?

I'm a firm believer in that sunscreen CAUSES cancer!
Yes, there are cancerous skin issues without the use of sunscreen, however, there are MORE cases of cancer DUE to sunscreen!
Not only are we blocking an important function when we use sunscreen, we are more predisposed for skin cancer.
When one uses sunscreen, the sunlight cannot absorb through our skin, thus causing vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and prevent hypocalcemic tetany. It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts [4-6]. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults [3,7,8]. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.

Vitamin D has other roles in human health, including modulation of neuromuscular and immune function and reduction of inflammation. Many genes encoding proteins that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis are modulated in part by vitamin D [4,6,9,10]. Many laboratory-cultured human cells have vitamin D receptors and some convert 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)2D [11]. It remains to be determined whether cells with vitamin D receptors in the intact human carry out this conversion- this is one reason why we see MORE cases of skin cancers than prior to the usage of sunscreen!

Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and I trust our local authorities' advice on this: they say UV radiation causes both sunburn and cancer.

They have also been advising us for many years to use physical barriers such as shirts and hats IN ADDITION to sunscreen, as sunscreen is not sufficient to prevent UV damage to the skin. Further they advise us to avoid sun exposure during the strongest radiation which occurs in the middle of the day.

My best advice is to avoid the sun during it's most harmful hours. this is between the hours of 11am and 2pm. Enjoy sunshine all hours surrounding these hours, but wear protective clothing nad hats if needed. Also, if you're fair-skinned, have light eyes and are freckled like me, then I'd suggest you wear some type of light sunscreen. check out this site for more info:
http://www.symptoms-treatments.com/sympt...

The best data now available indicates that sunscreen is useful. Melanoma, although not common, is a significant threat if it happens.

The best answer to this is to stay out of the sun as much as possible. We all need some sunlight to help us with Vitamin D levels.

Sunscreens are essential if you do have to spend time in the sun. Read consumer's reports or get other sound advice on what you should do. Some are better than others.

But as much as I enjoy the sun, I enjoy it now from under some shade. I have some potential lesions that I have to have checked by a dermatologists every six months. I've had several removed.


What I remember is that your chances of skin cancer go up sharply if you are burned badly at the right age, early on, while in your teens. But it's never good for you.

Women are especially vulnerable to this and tans are definitely not fashionable now. A woman who smokes and gets in the sun too much has about five times the chance of skin cancer as those who don't. And if that weren't bad enough, their skin looks like old shoe leader.

But if you feel you have to do this, go see a dermatologist and get his or her recommendations. Don't get your medical advice from people here. It's very unhealthy.

One final note. You don't have to believe in global warning if you don't believe in science. But there is one observation which is true. The area of the world where the sun is literally dangerous is growing.