Staying safe from sun damage

You spend most of your time at the office or commuting. You're safe from the sun, right? Think again. "You can never get away from the sun, particularly living in Hawai'i," said Carla Nip-Sakamoto, president of the Hawai'i Dermatological Society. "Ultraviolet light passes through glass." This means that every daylight minute you spend outdoors — or even in the car — can result in potential destruction. Even worse, said Nip-Sakamoto, "it's cumulative damage we're talking about here, so each time you get exposure, you're adding to the damage."

Think of it as a reminder: Even one bad sunburn can cause irreversible harm and double the risk of skin cancer decades later. In fact, said Nip-Sakamoto, all of the literature says that most damage is done by age 18. You can't reverse that, but you can reduce the cumulative damage if you start taking precautions at any point in your life.

Paddler Donna Kahakui, training off Ala Moana beach park, applies sunscreen. She also uses a long-sleeved shirt to ward off the sun. Advertiser library photo • Dec. 27, 2000

Through trial and error.

"I try everything," said clinical psychologist and avid surfer and tennis player Terri Needles, who after years of experimenting now favors Longs Active, SPF 30. "Hardly anything stays on when you're surfing," she said, "but this product seems to work." She also likes it because "it doesn't drip too much" when she sweats, and it doesn't make her skin break out.

Frankie Gleason, 46, a 26-year veteran lifeguard at Ala Moana Beach Park, said, "Once I find something, I stick with it." His current favorite is Bull Frog, 36 SPF, because "it goes on clear and goes in well. And when I sweat, it doesn't burn my eyes." The expense, he said, is worth it — especially for his face. "I've had two things cut off my lip already."

A new product that has also made him happy recently is Headhunter. It's a tinted cream Gleason does not like rubbing into his skin, but he admits that he's had good luck with it staying on while he surfs and exercises. Still, he never trusts that it will last the day. "Before I leave home, I apply sunblock," he said. And he reapplies three to four times a day, after every shower or immersion in the water. "You always have to reapply, even if (the product) says you don't."

Helene Phillips, a lifeguard for 19 years, also likes Headhunter, which she uses mostly on her body. "It doesn't have that greasy, goopy feel," she said of why she switched from Aloe Gator, a product she knew worked well, but hated applying.

"Surfing is the best test of all, because you can't reapply, and you're wet the whole time," said Phillips, a surfer and paddleboarder. "For my body I'll use anything that comes my way," but with her face she is more particular. "I've had some bad basal cell (carcinomas). They took this much out of my forehead," she said, making an incomplete circle with her thumb and forefinger the size of a silver dollar. And that was only one of three surgeries on her face.

"There is only one product I can't live without," said Phillips, holding up Shiseido Sun Block Stick, SPF 35. "I surf a lot, and it's the only thing that works." In extreme conditions, like a recent surf safari to Bali, she puts "a glob on the nose of my board" for handy reapplication. It's expensive ($18 for the tinted stick, $20 for the translucent) but, Nip-Sakamoto said, "I think people are willing to spend a little more for something with cosmetic elegance for the face."

Shiseido Sun Block Stick seems to be the choice of many who work and recreate in the sun, according to one male Waikiki guard who wished to remain anonymous, because of Shiseido's association with female makeup. The tinted stick does in fact resemble make-up when applied, but blends into most skin tones when rubbed in properly. The 38-year-old lifeguard, who has surfed for 25 years, said the pro surfers and bodyboarders started the Shiseido trend. This has helped the product become more accepted — at least among those who are interested in guarding their skin.

"The younger guys don't really protect themselves," he said. "Surfing is fashion. If you've got this big glob of sunscreen on your face, it isn't cool. But the smart ones use whatever product works." Like all of the guards interviewed, he supplements his sunscreen with a floppy hat and a lycra rash guard when riding midday waves.

Long-distance outrigger canoe paddler Donna Kahakui also enlists a multi-faceted approach to avoiding the sun. "I use Neutrogena stick for my face," she said, "because I can just put it on and it doesn't go into my eyes, and when I paddle it doesn't get my hands all goopy." She uses gel-based sunscreens (like Neutrogena Active Sport transparent sunblock gel, SPF 30) instead of cream-based because their consistency allows them to "go on clear and dry." In addition, Kahakui wears a hat and a long-sleeved Patagonia shirt.

Similarly, canoe paddler Walter Guild wears a long-sleeved Patagonia shirt (and puts sunscreen underneath) when racing in the middle of the day. For sunscreen, he alternates between two different brands. "One of them is Kinesys, which seems to work well for sports," he said. "It stays on really well when you're out in the water for a long period of time and you're sweating. The other one that works is Banana Boat Sport. I'm to the point where if I put it on really well, I don't get burned at all." However, he still has a problem with sunscreen running into his eyes. His solution? "I don't put sunscreen on my forehead. I just wear a hat with a brim, and I try to train in the morning or evening as much as I can."

Three-time Ironman competitor Catherine Phillips (no relation to Helene), a graduate student in atmospheric chemistry at UH, uses multiple methods to combat the sun during long training sessions. She always wears a shirt over her sport bra, and favors the Ironman SPF 45 brand of sunscreen because she said it doesn't make her "all slimy" when she sweats.