Interview with Dr. Stefan Müller, head of development at Man

Are tanning salons able to prepare the skin for the sun and does this make sense?

"Anyone who pays attention to his skin health, should categorically avoid tanning salons. They are pure stress for the skin. This is due to the fact that the skin is almost exclusively subjected to UVA light. This penetrates deep into the skin where it causes an increased release of free radicals, thus stimulating the formation of melanin. Due to the "omission" of UVB radiation, it is possible to administer a huge dose of UVA radiation, as much as 10 times the amount of natural sun light, without getting sunburn. Therefore, in the solarium the skin becomes tanned in a very short time, but the important deeper layers of the skin are lastingly damaged. In conclusion: the tan from the tanning salon indeed enhances the self-protection time of the skin slightly - by up to a factor of 2 to 3.This is comparable to applying sun cream with a protection factor of 2 to 3. However, given the large health risk for skin, this comes at a high price."

What do you think of sun protection ‘you can swallow’, can pills help prevent sunburn?

"Sun protection "you can swallow" borders on deceit of the consumer. While modern sunscreens with a 15 to 25-fold protection are presented to the consumers as "moderate protection", orally administered agents cannot reach more than a factor of about 2 - if even that ..."

Your emergency measures if the skin has received too much sun:

"If you only got "too much sun", without having sunburn, then an after-lotion has a cooling and soothing effect on your skin, and replenishes the moisture lost while sunbathing. With a light sunburn, only affecting small areas of skin, one usually need not do anything more than stay out of the sun for a few days. If large areas of skin are affected or if the sunburn is more severe, one should seek professional help from a doctor or pharmacist ..."

What should mothers of babies and children pay attention to?

"Babies and toddlers should not be directly exposed to the sun at all. Appropriate clothing and sunscreens also provide protection while in the shade. Older children need a high level of protection while in the sun. Regardless of age, sunburns should be avoided under all circumstances."

What new information about skin aging and/or skin cancer is available?

"To put it in the words of Brian Diffey, professor of dermatology and internationally recognized researcher in the field: "The future looks bright!" In past decades, when the risk of skin cancer was still relatively unknown, sun protection had the purpose of rapid tanning without a sun burn. Today, modern sunscreens offer significantly greater and more comprehensive protection against sunburn and premature skin aging, and they reduce the risk of skin cancer. The consumer can identify this by means of the established sun protection factor and the UVA-in-a-circle logo."