Sun-smart (and not-so-smart) U.S. cities

WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- Do people look more attractive with a tan?

Is soaking up imitation sun in a tanning bed better than the sun because tanning salons emit a safer type of light ray?

Is building a base tan before intense exposure a healthier way to get bronzed?

No, no, and no, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, which asked these questions and others to about 3,000 residents of 32 U.S. cities to determine which cities were most and least "sun smart." The group performed the online survey as a kick-off to May as Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month -- a push to boost sun smarts and skin cancer screening rates amid a national rise in cases of malignant melanoma.

So who ranked top in sun smarts? Washington, D.C., where 45 percent of the residents surveyed disagreed that bronzed skin makes a person more attractive -- which is 13 percentage points higher than the 32 percent average for all adults surveyed. Most Washington residents -- 66 percent -- recognized that getting small doses of sun before a major exposure is not healthy.

Nearly half of Washington residents scored A's or B's on the survey, which was the highest percentage of any city. New York ranked No. 2, followed by the sun-drenched cities of Miami, Tampa and Los Angeles.

Chicago ranked as the least sun-smart city -- with only 21 percent of its residents scoring A's and B's. According to the survey, most Chicago residents love the look of a golden glow -- and think building up a base tan before intense sun exposure is a healthy tanning plan. In addition, 41 percent of Chicago respondents said they "prefer to enjoy sunshine and not worry" about protecting themselves from it, and 40 percent answered that the climate they live in was a major reason they were not worried about sun exposure.

Suzanne Bell, 22, of Marengo, a suburb outside of Chicago, lived in Washington last summer and agreed that the frigid winters in Chicago may cause its residents to throw sun protection to the windy shores of Lake Michigan when summer finally comes.

"People in Chicago have to brave the freezing winters with the wind off the lake, so when the temperature finally does rise, I'd bet they are just excited to be out in it and not thinking about the consequences so much," Bell said.

But just because Chicago is not constantly sunny does not mean its residents are safe from UV rays, said Dr. Diane Baker, dermatologist and president of the AAD. "The notion that only people living in year-round sunny climates are prone to developing skin cancer is completely untrue. As dermatologists, we treat skin cancer patients in all areas of the country -- from big cities to small towns, in tropical climates and snow belt states."

In fact, 80 percent of UV rays can penetrate through clouds, and snow can magnify the sun's damaging effects, so sunscreen and protective clothing on overcast and snowy days is recommended, Baker said.

The survey also uncovered differing opinions on tanning beds between Chicago and Washington residents. People in Chicago tended to think tanning beds were safer, despite the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2002 declaring UV rays emitted from tanning beds as known carcinogens, said Dr. Arielle Kauvar, a dermatologist and chair of the AAD's council on communications.

Kauvar said that many tanning-bed devotees are lured by claims that the UV rays in tanning beds are safer because they are mostly UVA rays, or "tanning" rays instead of "burning" UVB rays. But UVA rays can still cause skin cancer, said Kauvar, who added that the UV rays in a bed can be 15 times stronger than natural sunlight.

Bell, who uses tanning beds occasionally, said when she lived in Washington she was hard-pressed to find a tanning salon, but with "about one in every four strip malls" having a tanning salon in suburban Chicago, Bell has many to choose from.

Aside from avoiding tanning beds, Kauvar offered several tips to avoid sun-related skin cancer, including slathering about a shot-glass-sized application of sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays before going outside, as well as wearing lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher, and always wearing sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection.

In addition, wearing protective clothing such as pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat can block rays, and avoiding exposure during the sun's peak hours -- usually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- can cut a person's skin-cancer risk. Kauvar also suggests people make annual visits to a dermatologist to have their moles checked.