Sun Primer

Test your sun sense with this quiz.

1. If you're going to the beach, you should:
   a) develop a base tan first at a tanning salon
   b) avoid sun exposure entirely
   c) wear a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher
   d) take moderate doses of sunshine.
2. It's safest to avoid sun exposure between:
   a) 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.
   b) 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
   c) 12 noon and 5 p.m.
   d) 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
3. Tanning beds are safer than sunlight. TRUE or FALSE
4. Sunscreens prevent skin cancer. TRUE or FALSE

Answers

1. d. Moderate sun exposure (20 to 30 minutes a day) helps keep us healthy. Sunlight helps our bodies manufacture vitamin D, which helps prevent osteoporosis and prostate cancer. Sunlight also heals acne and combats depression, particularly seasonal affective disorder.
2. b. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. High altitudes and reflections of snow, sand and water also increase the possibility of sunburn.
3. FALSE. Researchers have found that people who use tanning beds have the same risk of skin cancer as sun-worshippers.
4. FALSE. According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, sunscreens may prevent the most common forms of skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) but they do not protect against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Also, people who wear sunscreen tend to stay out in the sun longer because they think it will protect them.