Sunscreen

Bill Blass, one of the first American designers to start his own label, recently launched his latest perfume, Amazing. Blass, 77, suffered a mild heart attack recently and announced that after 50 years in fashion, he will retire next year. Here he talks about his work and life.Q. Why retire?A. I really feel that after 50-odd years -- and believe me, odd -- 50 years of working that I want to do a book, and I want to do other things. I really want to spend some time in the country. And, God, I'm entitled.

I HAVE JUST returned from nine days on the beach at Ocean City, and have the healthy glow and ruddiness of skin which signals initial-stage melanoma to prove it.Look, tanning is a problem for those of us with that kind of waxy, semi-translucent northern European skin.So before hitting the beach I slather on the sunscreen -- thick, greasy stuff with a Sun Protection Factor so high you wouldn't pink up at ground zero of a nuclear blast.Then I sit on the beach -- oh, yes, that's a sight -- and read my newspapers and books, and within an hour I look like I've been napping inside a blast furnace.

It's time to slather on the sunscreen. But any old brand won't do, even if it's an SPF15 (the sun protection factor experts recommend to block out the most dangerous ultra-violet rays) or higher. Recent studies show that we've been underrating the power of those rays.How so? UV rays are divided into two spectrums: UVA (which has two ranges, I and II) and UVB. "Up until recently, we've focused our attention on combating UVA II and UVB rays, because we thought UVA I rays were harmless," says Dr. James Leyden, dermatology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

WAIKIKI BEACH, Hawaii -- Sometimes you don't have to grow up. Sometimes a man can be a boy forever.A century's worth of progress has rendered the streets of Waikiki cluttered and teeming. But just offshore, the arc of Mamala Bay and the pulse of the Pacific still converge and form a small wave as lovely and gentle as exists. And some of the men who ride these waves persist with a free-spirited, ocean-loving life like nowhere else: the Waikiki Beach boy.Here, a youngster can aspire to surf and swim, to paddle the outriggers and sail the catamarans.

Q. Our family is going on a two-week vacation to the beach. I read in your column that there is a problem with St. John's wort and the sun. I am reluctant to stop taking this herb because it has dramatically improved my outlook. My kids don't irritate me the way they used to, and it doesn't interfere with my sex life the way Prozac did. Will a high-SPF sunscreen be enough to protect me from burning?A. We cannot guarantee that even a powerful sunscreen will protect you from the phototoxic effects of St. John's wort.

IN A FEW DAYS, my family and I will head to the ocean for a week, which is certainly something to look forward to -- if you don't count the nightmarish task that now looms before us.First, we have to pack for the trip.Packing for a family of five is like packing for the U.S. delegation to Bosnia, except you don't need mine-sweeping equipment and an extra 50 grand in bribe money to spread around.But you need everything else.You need bathing suits, T-shirts, shorts, sandals, jeans, sweat shirts, underwear, pajamas, tennis shoes.

Residents who flocked to the Kendall Ridge pool to enjoy Saturday's sun were exposed to more than ultraviolet rays -- they were given hats, sunscreen and warnings about the dangers of overexposure to the sun.The education campaign launched at the east Columbia pool -- and now at the 22 other community pools in Columbia -- is part of the Skin Cancer Awareness Project, sponsored by the Howard County General Hospital and the Columbia Association.The project has been created by the county's hospital physicians and staff to educate swimmers, sun worshipers and, especially, parents about the dangers of overexposure to the sun.As visitors waited in line to enter the Kendall Ridge pool area, some scanned a bulletin board plastered with the program's theme -- "Look for FLMs (Funny Looking Moles)"

The outdoors beckons during the long, lazy days of summer.For many, that can mean sunning and swimming at the beach. But carelessness can make or break an outing."

Q: I've been reading a lot about sunburn and its relationship to skin cancer. What's the best kind of sunscreen to put on my children?You are right to note that sunburn during childhood or adolescence increases an individual's risk for developing skin cancer in adult life.A: You may not be aware that excessive sun exposure also leads to premature wrinkling of the skin.These are two compelling reasons for ensuring that children are adequately protected from the sun.Sunlight contains two types of radiation, ultraviolet A and B.Both harm the skin in different ways.

It's summertime.I know because my mailbox suddenly is filled with missives from skin care companies and dermatologists' organizations offering dire warnings about unprotected sun worship.The decision to tan or not is a personal one and probably because I still lust in my heart for a golden tan -- I try not to judge hard-core tanners too harshly.I figure part of being an adult is having the right to make our own decisions, even if they're bad for us.(Despite the current hoo-ha over the return of the pale complexion, tans are hardly out of style; only the actual tanning is. Our collective lingering desire to go for the gold is why self-tanning creams are selling so well.

Question: : I have to use insect repellent every time I go outside. When I also need sunscreen, which goes on first? Answer: : This straightforward question has no simple answer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that "sunscreens should be applied to the skin before insect repellents." In the next sentence, however, the CDC advises travelers not to use combination products containing both repellents and sunscreens. It points out that "DEET-containing insect repellents may decrease the effectiveness of sunscreens and sunscreens may increase absorption of DEET through the skin."

It has happened to most of us: You get lost in the warmth of a summer day - at the beach, playing softball, biking or even just working in the garden - and before you know it you have a bad sunburn. A new device, the UVSunSense wristband, should eliminate the problem. The wristband, used in conjunction with a reliable sunscreen, lets the wearer know when that sunscreen is no longer doing its job. The wristband stands up to water - fresh, salt or chlorinated - and helps the wearer gauge how much UV radiation he or she has soaked up. The technology behind the wristband is similar to that used in the monitoring devices that nuclear plant workers wear to measure levels of radiation exposure.

You have written columns suggesting use of sunscreens with microparticles of zinc or titanium. I read that some scientists are concerned about nanoparticles found in products such as sunscreen. These particles are so tiny, they could get into places in our bodies that larger particles can't. No one knows how dangerous this might be, but some experts suggest we exercise caution and avoid nanotechnology in products such as sunscreen. Shouldn't you warn people about the danger? The Environmental Working Group is a collaborative group of scientists that first raised a red flag about nanoparticles in sunscreens.

Warm weather is here at last. But before you hit the beach or the tennis courts or head for the pool, make sure you've taken precautions to protect yourself from the sun's searing rays, says Dr. Oanh Lauring, a dermatologist at Mercy Medical Center. Who is at risk for skin cancer? Anyone who is exposed to the sun, but those at highest risk are patients with fair skin. So typically blonds, people with red hair, blue eyes or fair skin to start with are at increased risk. But black people need sunscreen, too. They do burn, and if you are someone who has any kind of dark marks or discolored skin such as acne or other darker areas, those areas need protection as well.

If you sat in Section 86 yesterday, beside the bullpens, you know why you bothered to get out of bed: to receive a free Sun sunscreen key chain from your favorite blogger. Settle down. I hung for a few innings before retreating to the press box, but only because I was working alone and had to write. It had nothing to do with the sun beating down on me and causing me to sweat ridiculous amounts. The grounds crew actually moved behind the tarp, anticipating a delay. It was brutally hot out there.

You can't see it, but it makes sunscreen clear, tennis rackets light and khaki pants stain repellent. And someday, it might help cure cancer. It's called nanotechnology. Dealing with particles that are 1/100,000th as wide as a human hair, nanotechnology is one of today's most promising avenues of research in medicine, science and manufacturing. But experts say it could also be one of the most perilous, dealing as it does with particles so minuscule they can be ingested into the lungs or seep into the bloodstream through the skin without detection.

The Howard County Health Department reminds residents that spring and summer months increase the risk of exposure to ticks and the possibility of Lyme disease, which spread through the bite of an infected tick. According to the National Lyme Disease Risk Map developed by the Centers for Disease Control, Howard County and Maryland are in the high-risk areas of the United States. Ticks that carry the disease are commonly found in woods and in areas between lawns and woods. Symptoms may include fever, headaches, fatigue and a rash in the shape of a bulls-eye.

Standing in front of a stage where she danced tap and ballet as a little girl at Colgate Elementary School in Dundalk, melanoma survivor Shonda Schilling held up two white plastic discs slathered with sunscreen and asked for volunteers to take them outside for 15 seconds. When the students came back inside, their classmates gasped to see that the UV light-sensitive discs had turned purple, except for the spots where Schilling applied sunscreen. Even on a cloudy day, the sun's rays went to work almost immediately - teaching the students a lesson Schilling, the wife of Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, hopes they won't soon forget.

Archaeology Pharoah statue to be relocated A giant statue of Pharaoh Ramses II will be moved next month from a congested square in downtown Cairo to a more serene home near the Great Pyramids in a bid to save it from corrosive pollution, Egypt's antiquities chief said this week. Exhaust fumes from trains, cars and buses, as well as subway vibrations, are damaging the more than 3,200-year-old granite statue at Ramses Square, its home since the early 1950s, when it was taken from a temple at the site of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis.

IF YOU HAVE CRUISED THE SUNSCREEN aisle at the grocery or drugstore lately, you know the choices seem almost endless. Spray, cream or nongreasy lotion? SPF 15, 45 or something in between? Now factor in this season's new offerings -- a sunscreen ingredient called Helioplex and a new sunscreen pill. ANTIQUING WEEKENDS: 52 EXCURSIONS ACROSS AMERICA Universe Publishing / Rizzoli International / $24.95 Some say there are two kinds of people in the world: those who love antiquing and those who don't.