"Paddler's Skin Care 101"

So beautiful, to be out on the water on a gorgeous sunny day, blue skies, trade winds, catching swells, and feeling “the glide” when you paddle together, yeah?

So, with all those good things to enjoy, you may not give much thought to skin care. But you should! There was a time in the ‘60’s and 70’s when tans were in vogue and pale people would soak up all the rays they could, deliberately adding some kind of tanning oil to accelerate the sun’s effects. Just look around- you’ll see plenty from those days, and the skin on many looks a bit, ah, “high mileage.”

Dr. Amanda Haley did a survey of paddling related injuries in 2007 for paddlers on Oahu. So this applies to us! She reported significant issues with skin: 7.5% of paddlers had sunburn severe enough to require medical attention, 6% had pre-cancerous lesions, and nearly 3% had skin cancers. She didn’t ask about wrinkles and accelerated aging, would have been plenty!

So there are 3 main reasons for concern:

1) Risk of sunburn. We’ve probably all had a bit of reddening and local discomfort somewhere along the line, but sunburn can be far worse than that. Extensive or severe exposure involves loss of fluids, reduced ability to regulate your body’s temperature, and may be associated with heat exhaustion. And it can sneak up on you. By the time you feel the pain, the damage is already done. Plus the long term damage even after the immediate symptoms resolve.
2) Risk of skin cancer. All the skin cancers are associated with sunburn and sun exposure: Basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and the far deadlier melanomas.
3) Accelerated aging. Maybe you aren’t worried about this now, or figure this only applies to haoles. But in fact, chronic sun exposure even short of sunburn causes dark spots, wrinkles, and other problems. Sometimes these show up at a surprisingly young age, even for those blessed with brown skin from the start.

Sun exposure “goes with the territory” when paddling in Hawaii. This is a daytime sport, so whether on the water in the canoe or on the beach, there’s sunshine. Even on a cloudy day, plenty of ultraviolet rays come through. So what are you to do? Here’s my top 10 tips to avoid sun related problems:

1) Use sunscreen. Seriously. Even the brown guys. Lots of it. Apply to any and all areas that are sun exposed, preferably before you go out in the sun. Half an hour before exposure is not too early. But if you forget to apply early, put it on as soon as you can. Use at least SPF-30, and SPF-45 or 50 may be better. Use a “sports” formula that won’t wash off right away with water exposure and perspiration.
2) Re-apply sunscreen every 2 or 3 hours, maybe more often if you’re sensitive or there is any question about covering all the areas or the earlier application getting washed off.
3) Stay in the shade when you can. Yeah, we don’t have umbrellas on the canoes, so I’m talking about at the beach or on the escort boat.
4) Wear sun protective clothing. A hat is essential, preferably with a visor or brim to cover your face and neck. Wear a shirt, with long sleeves when you can. Most any shirt is better than nothing, but look for fabrics certified at SPF 15-20 values. Even still, if you’re going to be paddling long- put sunscreen on even under the shirt. Seriously.
5) Stay hydrated. Even if you don’t feel very thirsty. You lose a lot more fluids when it is warm and humid. Coupled with exertion and even mild sunburn, if you’re dehydrated you have an increased risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. And sports medicine gurus say even 2 or 3% dehydration cuts down your peak performance. So…, stay hydrated.
6) Have your skin checked regularly. Especially if you’re over 40 and are one of those with a history of sunburn/sun exposure in years past, have your MD look you over for skin cancer. If they’re there- you want to catch ’em early!
7) If you’re concerned about sunspots and wrinkles, there are things you can use. Separate discussion for another day, let me know if you’re interested.
8) Keep your kids out of the sun and do all the stuff for them that I’m talking about for you. Train them early and hope they make this a life-long habit.
9) Use a lot of sunscreen and re-apply regularly.
10) Did you catch the part about sunscreen?

Enjoy paddling, and God bless,

“Doctor Jon”

Jon L. Ruckle, MD
Principal
Pacific Pharma Group, LLC
www.pacificpharmagroup.com
cell: 808-349-9812