We have all heard the warnings about “unprotected sex.” I am warning about unprotected sun exposure. Witness the damage done by the sun to our drapes, carpets, newsprint, and car finishes. Just imagine what this means to something as delicate as your skin!
As a living organ, the skin is constantly regenerating and healing the damage and injury we cause. However, after years of repeated assault, the healing and rejuvenation mechanisms start to wear down and the skin no longer possesses the elastic glow of our younger days. If you put your finger on a globe and move straight across from California to Europe, where do you think you would land? In Northern Africa! Because of this relationship to the equator, daily use of a SPF 40- 50 sunscreen is required to prevent the epidemic sun damage. Even higher SPFs are necessary at higher elevations such as mountain resorts or locations closer to the equator, such as Mexico, Hawaii, or even Southern California. Elements such as snow and water reflection increase the sun’s intensity and increase the need for a higher SPF. To understand the amount of protection offered by the SPF, the formula is:
60 minutes / SPF # = Number of unprotested minutes each hour
Thus, 60 minutes divided by # 30 SPF equals 2 unprotected minutes each hour. In an eight hour day of intense exposure, that is still enough radiation to give fair skin people color and even damage the skin. Cloudy days will not protect you either. Clouds are not able to hold back the burning rays of the sun, even though they feel cooler. From where I sit, seeing two to three patients with new skin cancers every week, it is easy to be motivated to use a 40-50 SFP daily.
Put the sunscreen by your toothbrush and use it every day, rain or shine. The habit is important. Also needed is adequate absorption time. Sunscreens need to be applied at least 20-30 minutes before sun exposure. Sunscreen applied while you are already in the sun will not start working immediately. Therefore, you are at risk for those 20-30 minutes. Be safe. Make it a daily habit to apply sunscreen after your morning shower and be ready for whatever the day brings—rain or shine!
Chronic sun exposure, including suntanning and sunburns, contribute to skin cancer, precancerous skin lesions, premature skin aging, wrinkling, brown spots, and cataracts of the eyes. Sunburn has been linked to the subsequent development of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. Here are some suggestions to minimize damage from the sun.
- Use a water-resistant sunscreen when you swim or expect to be sweating and reapply every 2 hours.
- If you become irritated or are allergic to sunscreen chemicals, you might try using sunscreens which are labeled chemical -free, sensitive skin, or for babies. Plain white zinc oxide ointment is excellent but messy.
- If you have dry skin, use a cream-based sunscreen.
- If you have oily and/or acne-prone skin, use an oil free, gel-based or non-comedogenic sunscreen.
- Do not forget to protect your lips with either a lip balm containing sunblock and/or lipstick.
- Try to avoid the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM when the Sun’s rays are the strongest.
- Stay in the shade whenever possible and keep infants under six months out of the sun.
- Wear protective clothing: long-sleeved shirt, pants, wide brimmed hat and sunglasses which block UV light. There are is also specialty-woven UV rated clothing available.
- Tanning with a sunlamp IS NOT SAFER than sunlight. There is no such thing as a healthy tan. A tan is a sign of injury—the skin’s response to an overdose of ultraviolet radiation.
Michael J. Tomcik, MD is a Board Certified Dermatologist at Advanced Laser & Skin Care Center in San Ramon (925) 743-1488
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