Prof. dr. W. Bergman and Dr. F.R. de Gruijl

Burka or Bikini?

Workshop leaders: Prof Dr W. Bergman & Dr F.R. de Gruijl

Department: Dermatology, LUMC.

It's a fact that sun exposure can harm the skin. Especially overexposure to UV light at a young age can later in life lead to skin cancer via the UV-carcinogenesis pathway and UV exposure also leads to a process called photo-aging: the skin starts to loose its firmness and wrinkles and brown age spots slowly, but inevitably, appear on exposed surfaces of the skin. Of course one can visit beauty clinics to get peelings and face lifts to restore the appearance of the skin.

On the other hand sunshine on your skin is needed to survive on this planet: this joined action of sun and skin produces the indispensable vitamin D and prevents all kinds of disorders and several types of cancer.

So what to do? How to balance benefits and dangers? After a theoretical introduction we will discuss everyday considerations regarding save behavior in the sun. How do you weight one against the other argument? Will you be wearing a burka or a bikini on the beach next summer?