JULY 13, 2009 — “As a dermatologist working in the melanoma field for nearly 20 years, I feel quite strongly that there is always an overemphasis on sunshine. You often read that nearly all melanomas are caused by sunshine — which is not supported by the evidence. The more research we do, the more we realize that sunshine is a small part of the puzzle.”

— Dr Veronique Bataille, a dermatologist and researcher at King’s College in London, as quoted in the London Times in an article by Health Editor Sarah-Kate Templeton pointing out that more research is challenging the unsupported all-out sun avoidance being promoted myopically by the sun scare lobby.

The article begins: “Sunshine is not the main cause of the most dangerous form of skin cancer, according to researchers, who say some warnings about the perils of sunbathing are scaring people unnecessarily. Scientists, whose research appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Genetics, claim the number of moles on your skin is the most important factor in the risk of getting melanoma. This reignites the debate over whether official health warnings about avoiding the sun are overstated.”

“Many dermatologists and the mainstream press is catching on to this messaging now — it’s just a matter of time before they figure out the rest of the ‘math’ about UV: That there are consequences to sun avoidance and over-use of chemical sunscreen products,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “This isn’t the first study to show that sunshine isn’t related to melanoma the way the ‘sun scare’ lobby suggests, and it won’t be the last.”

How the Chemical Sunscreen message could be hurting women and children will be discussed in a session at Smart Tan Downtown: Smart Tan’s 14th annual convention and trade show in Downtown Nashville Oct. 9-11. Click here for more information on the event.