The risk of skin cancer due to intensive sun exposure is still underestimated. So it is not surprising if at least 180,000 new cases of “light skin cancer” (forms of light skin cancer: actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma (BZK; basal cell carcinoma), squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) are known again this year.
Especially when traveling, the skin is often severely stressed due to climatic changes, stress, etc. If you have any existing skin conditions, seek medical advice before traveling.
The skin is extremely unforgiving. In order to behave properly in the sun, it is important to be informed about your skin type (skin phototype) and the associated precautions.
- Skin type I – the “Celtic type” – gets sunburned very quickly and the skin remains Celtic pale. In this case, you should refrain from sunbathing, as the rays can cause lasting damage to your skin without giving it a tan complexion.
- With skin type II – the “Germanic type” – shows a slight tan after an initial sunburn after a week. Affected people are not recommended too long sunbathing. An initial sun protection factor of a minimum strength of 20 is mandatory. After a light tan, the sun protection factor 8 is sufficient.
- Skin type III – the “mixed type” – also gets a sunburn, but after a week the skin is brown. For a healthy tan, you should use a sunscreen with SPF 15 for the first few days and then replace it with SPF 8.
- Even with skin type IV – the “Mediterranean type” – too frequent sunbathing can cause wrinkling and skin cancer. Even if these people rarely sunburn and already have a very brown complexion after a week, they should protect their skin with a sun protection factor 8.
| Skin type (skin phototype)according to Fitzpatrick | UV sensitivity | Sunburn* | Erythema(Redness) | Tan* | Recommended sun protection factor (SPF) | |
| I | Celtic type: very fair skin, reddish blond hair, freckles. | very strong | always | 10 min. | /never | 10-30 |
| II | Germanic type: fair skin, blond hair | very strong | always | 10-20 min. | occasional | 10-30 (initial sun protection factor min. 20) |
| III | Mixed type: moderately fair skin, dark blond/dark hair | strong | occasional | 20-30 min. | always | 8-15 (initial SPF 15) |
| IV | Mediterranean type: southern with dark skin, dark hair. | Moderate | almost never* * | > 40 min. | always | 8 |
| V | Dark-skinned races | Low | never* * | – | – | – |
| VI | African | very low | – | – | – | – |
* After 30 minutes of sun exposure in summer* * After extreme sun exposure, sunburn is also possible for these skin types!
Attention. Always also observe the current UV index in each case (see “Sun protection/UV rays” below).