Sun Protection Frequently Asked Questions

Why is UV sun protection important?
Sun protection is important because sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer and over one in 5 Americans will get skin cancer in their lifetime. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US; each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood or 5 or more sunburns at any age more than doubles the risk of melanoma later in life. And to add insult to injury, up to 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.

The good news? Skin cancer is highly preventable with UV protection, including UV protective apparel, sunglasses, sunscreens and reducing sun exposure between 10AM to 4PM. (Source: The Skin Cancer Foundation)

What is Sun Protection clothing... Why shouldn't I just stick to my usual sunscreen?
A 2007 review in the medical journal, The Lancet reported that UV protective clothing and reducing sun exposure are more effective than using sunscreen.

The advantage of Iconic Sport's sun protection apparel is that Iconic's sun protection is mechanical, not chemical and so it does not wash out, rub off or sweat off-- they are an intrinsic, non-chemical part of our fabrics.

Part of the problem with sunscreening lotions is that most people neither apply enough sunscreen nor do they reapply frequently enough or 30 minutes before sun exposure for effective chemical absorbtion. There's also the stickiness/glop factor and the fact that sunscreen chemicals are absorbed into your body with unclear consequences.

With sun protective clothing your sun protection level does not vary. Plus you avoid the 'sticky' factor of sunscreens and the scary pollutant factor which is being reported about a number of common sunscreen ingredients which are showing up systematically in our population and in our oceans, lakes and waterways.

In addition, not all sunscreens provide UVA and UVB Broad spectrum coverage. The SPF rating only applies to the UVB (burning) radiation protection level. From a cost effectiveness point of view, our sun sleeves cost about the same as 2-3 bottles of sunscreen and can be used over and over...

That said, we recommend sun protective clothing where possible and practical plus using a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, (preferably a physical block sunscreen, i.e. zinc oxide based sunscreen) for areas not covered by UV protective clothing or hats, i.e face, hands etc, sunglasses and avoiding prolonged sun exposure between 10 AM and 4 PM.

How do I play it safe in the sun?
The Skin Cancer Foundation asked several athletes who are uniquely qualified to advise- they're also dermatologists! As skin experts, all of them take certain general precautions and recommend that you do the same:

• Avoid outdoor athletics between the peak sun hours of 10 AM and 4 PM

• Wear UV protective clothing, hats and UV-blocking sunglasses. The Skin Cancer Foundation considers UPF 30-49 fabrics to be very good protection and UPF 50+ to be excellent sun protection

• Use a broad spectrum, sweat-resistant SPF 15 or higher sunscreen, being careful to cover often-missed exposed spots such as the hands and the back of the neck.

What is the difference between SPF and UPF sun protection rating scales?
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a UV sun rating for sunscreen lotions and sprays which basically has some poor smoe stick his/her arm in UV light and the time until s/he gets sunburned is measured. If that guy/gal sunburns in 5 minutes without sunscreen and, for example, ten times longer (50 minutes) with sunscreen,then that lotion is SPF 10. This is a measure of UVB (think Burning rays), not UVA spectrum rays (think Aging/skin damage rays). Sunscreen manufacturers self test their products without a standard test protocol, so your mileage will vary.

UPF (UV Protection Factor) is used for fabrics and measures how much UVA and UVB radiation gets thru the fabric barrier. For example, UPF 50 means that the amount of the UVA and UVB radiation that makes it through the fabric is 1/50 or 2% of the incoming UVA and UVB light. UPF 50+ (the highest allowable rating) means less than 2% of the UV light gets through. UPF 30 means 1/30 = 3.33% of the incoming UV rays get through to you, etc. So higher UPF ratings have better UV protection.

How do I know how much UV protection I'm getting from sun protective clothing?
The way the UV radiation is measured and how fabrics are UPF-rated is specified by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) standards agency so it is very repeatable. We send our fabrics to an independent testing agency for testing using AATCC Test Method 183. Any legitimate sun protection clothing should have a test rating from one of the standards agencies. Other standards agencies with UV testing methods include the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and ARPANSA (formerly the Australian Radiation Laboratory) and Australian Standard Evaluation and classification AS/NZS4399.

What sun protection level (UPF) is enough for me?
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, sun-protective fabrics must have a minimum UPF of 30. They consider a UPF rating of 30-49 to offer very good protection, and 50+ excellent protection. Although like regular clothing, sun-protective clothing may lose its effectiveness if pulled too tight or stretched out, if it becomes damp or wet, or if it is washed (for UV additives) or worn through. (Note, iconic's microfiber polyester blend fabrics do not lose UPF ratings when wet and sometimes increase, nor does repeated washing affect iconic's microfiber-based fabrics.)

However, (of course) your mileage may vary-- infants, children, very fair complected people, those with sun sensitivity (sometimes due to medications, chemotherapy, lupus and other conditions), those in extreme enviroments (water/snow reflection, high altitude etc.) should increase their sun protection levels. Note that if you are a member of a darker complected ethnicity, you can't get complacent either-- Asians, African Americans and Hispanics tend to have the more serious/deadly forms of skin cancer when it's diagnosed, c.f. The Skin Cancer Foundation. (Who knew that Bob Marley died from melanoma?)

If I'm not getting sunburned, am I safe from skin cancer?
No. Sun burning is from UVB spectrum rays; UVA (and UVC cancer-causing rays if you are in an ozone hole) cancer-causing rays can penetrate through narrow spectrum high SPF sunscreen and fabrics. So just because you are not getting sunburned does not mean you are protected from skin cancer and damaging ultraviolet rays.

I'm dark complected ethnically and I tan easily. Am I safe from skin cancer?
No. While melanoma is uncommon in African Americans, Latinos, and Asians, it is frequently fatal for these populations; primarily because people of color are frequently diagnosed with skin cancer at later stages. These delays mean that skin cancers are often advanced and potentially fatal, whereas most skin cancers are curable if caught and treated in a timely manner.

Skin cancer represents one to two percent of malignancies in African Americans and Asian Indians. Although skin cancer comprises only two to four percent of all cancers in Chinese and Japanese Asians, the incidence is rising. Melanomas in African Americans, Asians, Filipinos, Indonesians, and native Hawaiians most often occur on non-exposed skin with less pigment, with up to 60-75 percent of tumors arising on the palms, soles, mucous membranes and nail regions. Among non-Caucasians, melanoma is a higher risk for children than adults: 6.5 percent of pediatric melanomas occur in non-Caucasians; c.f. skincancer.org. Little known fact, Bob Marley died from malignant melanoma on his toe at age 36.

Where can I find out more about UV protection and preventing skin cancer?
Please check our links page for more information. The good news is that skin cancer is highly preventable with UV protection.

Why Sun Sleeves?
A round of golf, a training ride/run, afternoon hike, tennis match -- all great fun but all can be a long time in the sun-- and most people don't apply sunscreen liberally or frequently enough. UV protective sun sleeves provide sun protection which will not rub, sweat or wash off. The ideal sun sleeves for golf and other arm-active sports should be comfortable (not hot!), with the highest UV protection rating (UPF 50+), resilient stretch and recovery, with perspiration-wicking and anti-microbial/ anti-odor properties and retain their sun protection level when damp or wet. They should be machine washable of course! Our sun sleeves are available in prints and solids, in unisex size XXS/Junior to XXL. For more information, pls see our Sun sleeve FAQ in English or in Japanese.