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Sunscreens | Ivy Family Health Updates

Sunscreens

 
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In this segment Dr. John Martin discusses sunscreens and sunblocks with his sister Dr. Kathryn Martin, and his brother Dr. Edward Martin.

Everyone need daily sunprotection from both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are the ones which cause a sunburn. The UVA rays pass further into the skin than UVB and are responsible for premature skin aging and pigmentation. They are also an important risk factor for skin cancer. It is important to remember that UVA light can penetrate glass, which is why the left side or driving side of your face is usually more damaged.

The way to protect our skin from the UV rays is by regular us of suncreens and sunblocks

Sunscreens are available in creams, lotions and gels, and contain chemicals that absorb UV rays. They can’t be seen on the skin, and there are many different sunscreens such as PABA, benzophenones, cinnamates, and salicylates. The newer UVA sunscreens are avobenzone, and mexoryl sx.

The sunblocks will reflect the rays instead of absorbing them. The two popular sunblocks are titamium dioxide, and zinc oxide. In their early formulations they were a thick white cream which was easily visible. Now however they are micropulverized, so that they are not as noticeable.

The effectiveness of strength of a sunsreeen is given a numerical value called the SPF, or sun protection factor. The SPF indicates how many minutes it takes to burn while wearing a thick layer of the product compared to the minutes it would take to burn without the product. So in theory an SPF 30 lets you stay in the sun, unburned by UVB up to 30 times longer than without it. The SPF is only for UVB, and there is currently no real measure of UVA protection

You want to wear a product with an SPF of at least 15, which screens about 94% of the UVB. An SPF of 30 screens about 97% of the UVB. There is no such thing as total protection, so you always need to be careful when in the sun. Sunscreen is tested at 2mg per sq cm of skin- which means you should be using 2 oz. each time to cover your body! This is a lot more than most people would wear on a normal basis, and if you use SPF 30 sparingly you end up with an SPF of only about 3-10.

In addition to helping to keep your skin from pre-mature aging, sunscreens can impede sunburn and lower the incidence of squamous cell cancer, which is a cancer that kills 2000-2500 Americans per year. Sunscreens should also protect against melanoma and basal cell carcinoma.

You should reapply every few hours and after swimming or sweating, even if it says that they are waterproof. A recent Consumer Reports recommended highly Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 45 and No-Ad sunblock lotion SPF 45. Sunscreens can lose their potency, so it is recommended that you dispose of them after one year.

Tanning salons are not a safe alternative, as they deliver mostly UVA rays. They can therefore increase you risk of skin cancer. And don’t think that you won’t get burned on a foggy or hazy day. About 80% of the UV rays are still getting through!