Practice Safe Sun . . .
This morning I had another patient ask me what is the one thing they can do to keep their skin looking younger. My answer is always the same. . . you MUST use sun block!People often think that a tan will protect them from the sun’s harmful rays. Not true. The sun causes damage that accumulates over time. An innocent ‘little bit of color’ today leads to the brown spots, wrinkles and sagging jowls tomorrow. Go ahead and enjoy the warm sunny days of spring and summer but don’t forget to use a sun block with SPF 30 or higher to protect your skin from those damaging sun rays.
We all know many strategies to use to avoid sun damage, but I think it is worth mentioning them again:
- Cover up with clothes– dark colors are best because they absorb sunlight. Polyester garments are usually more protective than cotton or linen, but it depends on the weight and weave (sun light gets through holes!). There are even some clothes marketed as sun-protective using the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating developed in Australia, the country with the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. A UPF of 15 or higher is good.
- Watch the clock – avoid extended exposure between 10am and 3pm
- Don’t trust the clouds or shade – on cloudy days ultraviolet radiation levels are almost the same as in sunshine. And while being in the shade is better off than in the sun, you can still be affected by the sun’s rays.
- Check your altitude – studies at Harvard show that the intensity or radiation increases by about 4% for every 1,000 feet in altitude
For those of you who can’t resist getting a ‘healthy’ tan there are a few safe alternative self-tanning products that I recommend to
Tanatasia by Jane Iredale
my patients such as my “Safe Tan Sun Free Tanning Lotion” or Jane Iredale’s “Tantasia” (both products are available in the office)
