[Local sunscreening agents--why, when, how and where?].

Sunscreens are used primarily to protect against sunburn. The cosmetic benefits of sunscreens have been widely accepted with the recent indictment of photoaging as a major cause of wrinkles. It is not so well known that sunscreens also protect against the development of carcinomatous processes in the skin. It is important to protect against UV-A as well as against UV-B because UV-A has an additional effect and can also itself initiate cancer. We advocate use of sunscreens with a high sun protection factor. It is of utmost importance to protect children against the deleterious effects of the sun to prevent development of skin cancer later in life. The article includes an overview of the most common active sunfilter compounds. Allergy to these compounds does occur but is rare. Certain textiles provide good but varying protection against the sun.