• sunburn
• melanoma
• UV light

Most of us have probably had a bit of sunburn. In my youth the occasional burn was a badge of honour, especially when achieved in pursuit of a suntan in the closing days of an overseas vacation. A fair skinned and freckled friend of mine recalls the teenage use of olive oil resulting in excruciating sunburn.

We know better than that now, though, don't we? Of course we do, but these days we and our patients choose—and can afford—to take holidays where there is a lot of sunshine.

Sun exposure is an important health issue in Queensland, where one in three adults will have some sort of skin malignancy in a lifetime. There are three main factors contributing towards this. Firstly there is the latitude, with the tropic of Capricorn running through Rockhampton, and the southernmost part of the state at a mere 28 degrees south. Secondly …