As people prepare to head off on their well-deserved holidays, many will pop in to the pharmacy to stock up on “summer essentials”. This provides the perfect chance to promote sun awareness and encourage self care measures, says the NPA

Vitamin D

The body requires sufficient levels of vitamin D for bone health and growth in order to prevent conditions such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults and children. The main source of vitamin D synthesised in the body is sunlight falling on skin.

In the summer months, a short period of exposure to UK sun without sunscreen, such as 10-15 minutes each day, should be enough to strike the correct balance between adequate vitamin D levels and the risk of skin damage. In winter months, it can be difficult to obtain sufficient vitamin D from the sun and supplements may be appropriate.

Sunburn

Using a high level sunscreen is essential. It is recommended that adults wear a sunscreen with a rating of at least SPF15 and for children, SPF30. ‘SPF’ stands for ‘sun protection factor’ and refers mostly to protection from UVB rays.

Protection from UVA rays is indicated by the ‘star’ rating system in the UK, which can be confusing for customers. The star rating can range from 0 to 5 and indicates the ratio of UVA protection to UVB protection. Pharmacy staff should recommend that customers opt for a sunscreen with both a high SPF and a high number of stars to be certain they are getting a good level of sun protection.

Sunscreen should be applied liberally before going out in the sun and reapplied every couple of hours throughout the day. Also, it is best to stay in the shade when the sun is at its strongest between 11am and 3pm. If a customer has sunburn, they should cover the area immediately to prevent further damage.

A cool shower can also help. If their skin starts to feel itchy a few days later and starts to peel, they should use a moisturiser. Pharmacy staff should also advise customers not to be fooled by a cloudy sky. Just because they cannot see the sun, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be causing damage to the skin.

Skin cancer

Even if your customer has been careful and protected their skin from the sun, it is important to check the skin throughout the year to help detect signs of cancer and ensure early treatment. This is particularly important for melanoma. The pharmacy team can guide patients on the simple ABCDE list of checking moles for early signs of melanoma:

Asymmetry – the two halves of the mole may differ in shape

Border – the edges may be blurred, notched or irregular

Colour – the colour may be uneven and different shades of brown, pink or black

Diameter – melanomas tend to be larger in diameter, typically greater than 6mm

Evolving – a mole that is changing, in size, shape.