Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Safe and Sunny Summer




I have recently experienced a bad sunburn while vacationing in Florida. I know that too much sun can cause skin cancer. But I was out all day playing with my son, enjoying the water and my leisure reading on the beach. I forgot to reapply the sunscreen. By the end of the day, I was hurting. On the other hand, my son was wearing his sunshine gear: a hat, his long sleeve shirt and UPF 50+ shorts. He was safe.  This experience has reminded me of the importance of discussing sun safety with my patients.
Here are few tips to consider when having fun in the sun:

1.  Use sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher. SPF stands for sun protection factor and determines how long that sunscreen will allow you to stay in the sun without burning. Be sure to apply enough sunscreen - about one ounce per sitting for a young adult. When it comes to sunscreen, more is more. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. 

2. Sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide create an invisible barrier to UV rays. Most sunscreens need time to react with substances in your skin before they become effective. Be sure to apply them at least 20 minutes before you go out in the sun. For tear-free formula that is quick, easy and painless to apply, try Banana boat SPF 50 or Aveeno SPF 70 spray.

3. Stay in the shade whenever possible, and limit sun exposure during the peak intensity hours - between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Remember that clouds offer no protection from UV rays. UV index is an indicator of how dangerous the UV rays are. If UV index is 3 or higher, protect yourself. The Environmental Protection Agency puts out a national UV index forecast map, with sun protection advice, every day. You can even put in your own zip code! Go to http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html.


4. The first, and best line of defense against the sun is covering up. Wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing forward, sunglasses (look for sunglasses that block 99-100% of ultraviolet rays), and cotton clothing with a tight weave. Sun-protective clothing, which has a sunscreen in the fabric, really works (but can be expensive).

5. For babies under 6 months, the two main recommendations from the AAP to prevent sunburn are to avoid sun exposure and dress infants in lightweight long clothes to prevent sunburn.

Here are few myths about sunscreen that I wanted to clarify.

"I need sun for Vitamin D."
True. You only need 15 minutes of peak sun time three times per week to help avoid vitamin D deficiency. Unless you are sunscreen applier champion, you will not be blocking vitamin D synthesis. If you are truly low on Vitamin D, consider taking supplement.

"You don't need to wear sunscreen if you have dark skin." 
False. Any skin color can get skin cancer. Everyone needs sunscreen.

"I read somewhere that sunscreen can expire."
True. The active ingredients in sunscreen can lose their potency. Check the expiration date. To be safe, toss them after a year.

"I heard there is a detergent that helps your clothes protect you from sunshine."
True. Washing your clothes in RIT's SunGuard can add an equivalent of SPF 30 to your clothes.

Even if you haven't always been sun protection conscious, it's time to start now. Instead of dwelling on the past sunburns, get your sunscreen regimen today. Looking for a rule of thumb? Apply early and often. I am speaking from experience. Have a good day, sunshine.

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