The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal

MAY 2014

The 2012 edition of The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal features medically reviewed, reader-friendly articles such as tanning, the increasing incidence of skin cancer diagnoses among young women, & the prevalence of melanoma among white males over 50.

Issue link: https://skincancer.epubxp.com/i/319518

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39 light, while loosely woven, bleached cottons or crepe of- fer the least. 3 If you choose carefully, everyday clothing can keep your skin safe. In recent years, many man- ufacturers have been making sun-protective clothing that eliminates the guesswork. Usually, these items come with a labeled UPF (ultravio- let protection factor) rating, a number similar to the SPF (sun protection factor) num- ber for sunscreen. UPF tells how well the garment flters out UV rays. Unlike SPF, which indicates how long you can stay in the sun before getting burned, UPF tells how much of the sun's UV radiation permeates your clothing. 3 Another diference: UPF designates both UVA and UVB protection, while SPF specifcally measures UVB protection. A light cotton T-shirt has a UPF of only about 5, mean- ing it allows 1/5th of the sun's UV rays to penetrate – even more when wet or stretched out. On the other hand, a long-sleeved denim shirt ofers a UPF of up to 1,700, virtually a total sun block. 3 Sun-protective clothes carrying a UPF label of- fer assurance to consumers that they're getting the protec- tion they seek. In the United States, the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and the AATCC (Ameri- can Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) have established the standards for how UPF clothing is tested and labeled. Fabrics with a UPF value of 40 to 50+ are classifed as "Excellent Protection," and those with values greater than 25 but less than 40 are considered "Very Good Protection." To earn The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommen- dation, clothing items must have a UPF of 30 or higher. As UPF clothing has increased in popularity, more and more companies are ofering high-tech features to enhance UPF and wearability, making clothes that are lightweight, moisture-wicking and cool as well as highly sun-protective. Coolibar What : A specialty maker of sun-protective sports and casual wear, Coolibar prides itself on being among the most thorough testers of its products in the industry. Why does testing matter? Since the Food and Drug Administra- tion does not regulate UPF clothing, there's no guar- antee a product will retain its UV-screening abilities through the life of its wear, says Michael Hubsmith, ex- ecutive vice president of merchandising for Coolibar, based in Minneapolis, MN. To that end, they test every single lot of their sun-pro- tective fabric (one lot pro- duces about 500 shirts) to ensure that UVA and UVB rays are being fltered out efectively. The fabric then undergoes 40 laundry cycles and 100 hours of simulated sunlight fading and is tested again. "Since UVA and UVB are invisible to the naked eye, we believe our test integrity is the most important value we can deliver," Hubsmith de- clares. "The challenge is how light you can make a fabric and still get permanent UV protection." Suntect is Coolibar's catalogue of lightweight UPF 50+ fabrics, which block, absorb and refect UV rays. Some of their fabrics have perma- nently embedded titanium dioxide and zinc oxide par- ticles, the same substance in physical sunscreens, which provide the broadest spectrum of UVA and UVB protec- tion. Depending on the clothing item, Suntect fabrics are also moisture-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying and chlorine/saltwater-resistant. Coldblack (by Schoeller Textiles of Switzerland) What: A special dye added to clothing fbers that refects infrared (heat) light. Originally, this state-of-the-art tech- nology was developed for its cooling properties; people could wear dark-colored fabrics – which generally absorb heat in the sun – and stay cool. The Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna was an early adopter of Coldblack. "They wanted to use it on suits to keep you from getting hot," says Cricket Griesman, West Coast sales manager for Schoeller Textil USA. "If you've got a navy jacket on and you're standing on a street corner and the sun is beating down, you will not get hot." Coldblack also gives an extra 30 UPF to any fabric, sup- plementing the fabr ic's natural UPF. It contains a UV-absorbing chemical compound, similar to the com- Clothing is the single most effective form of sun protection for the body. Ermenegildo Zegna was one of the frst fashion houses to use the revolutionary Coldblack technology in its blazer fabrics.

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