| moved to Colorado from the Northeast several years | | | | University who is a skin cancer researcher. |
| back, I noticed a disturbing thing starting to happen - | | | | I’ve had patients come in and ask, Am |
| brown sun spots appearing on my hands and arms. I | | | | I harming myself by using it?’ I’ve |
| had always worn a hat to protect my face, but | | | | spent a lot of time talking to people about it. |
| tended to neglect my hands and arms. Then I | | | | The latest report comes from the Environmental |
| noticed in particular that the sun spots were | | | | Working Group, which claims that in an investigation |
| appearing a lot more on my left arm than my right. I | | | | of nearly 1,000 sunscreen products, four out of five |
| didn't know what to make of it until, one day when I | | | | offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain |
| was driving, it all became clear. The sun beating down | | | | ingredients that may pose a health risk. |
| on my hand and arm through the driver's side | | | | What they are doing is developing their own |
| window was the culprit. I spent several hours a week | | | | system for evaluating things, said Dr. Warwick L. |
| driving and never even considered the implications of | | | | Morison, professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins |
| having my left hand at the mercy of the sun while | | | | and chairman of the Skin Cancer Foundation's photo |
| holding the steering wheel. I have heard (but not yet | | | | biology committee, which tests sunscreens for |
| substantiated) that in countries where the steering | | | | safety and effectiveness. Using this scale to say |
| wheel is on the left side of car, skin cancer is more | | | | a sunscreen offers good protection or bad protection |
| prevalent on the left side of the body, particularly the | | | | is junk science. |
| arm. Where the steering wheel is on the right side of | | | | What I preferred was something to wear to protect |
| the car, skin cancer is more prevalent on the right | | | | my hands and arms and my choice is sun gloves and |
| side of the body. | | | | a sun sleeve or sun sleeves. I have found that sun |
| I had never liked the idea or, frankly, the feeling | | | | gloves are useful for pretty much any outdoor |
| slathering my skin with chemical sun screens. And I | | | | activity: fishing, hiking, cycling, gardening or golf. Easy |
| always suspected that they were not quite as | | | | to slip on and off, versatile UPF/SPF sun protection. |
| effective as advertised. Indeed, several articles in | | | | Take a look at an old angler's hands and you'll get a |
| recent years point out that the SPF ratings are | | | | pretty good idea of why sun gloves and sun sleeves |
| exaggerated and that in order to be effective, | | | | are a good idea. Of course, there's always chemical |
| chemical sun screens have to be applied very liberally | | | | sunscreen, but we already discussed the questionable |
| and very often. For years, dermatologists have told | | | | effectiveness of it and it tends to make slippery |
| us sunscreen protects skin. Now, many people are | | | | work of casting and line control, and who wants |
| questioning that advice after an environmental group | | | | coconut-scented flies, anyway? The solution is a light, |
| challenged the sunscreen safety of many popular | | | | comfortable, fingerless sun glove made from |
| brands. | | | | quick-drying, UPF 50+ nylon/spandex fabric. Sun |
| Patients are confused, said Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, | | | | Gloves are easy to wear and easy to slip on and off. |
| a clinical professor of dermatology at New York | | | | |