The effect of sunscreen on melanoma risk.

The usage of sunscreens has grown dramatically worldwide over the past decade. Current data suggest that a regimen of sun protection that includes protective clothing, avoiding midday sun, and regular use of broad-spectrum high SPF sunscreen (such as practiced in Australia [19]) seems to be reducing melanoma incidence rates. This is the current recommendation of the American Academy of Dermatology and it is also the recommendation that is best supported by existing data. Except for total sun avoidance, sunscreens remain the best individual method of protection from UV-induced damage to the skin. It is hoped there will be even more definitive answers to questions related to the effectiveness of sunscreens for reducing melanoma risk as better sunscreen components are developed and as evaluations are performed in the future that overcome the problems better in existing studies.