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3. Do I need to protect myself in the winter too?
4. I've been in the sun all my life, is it too late to start
using sun protection?
5. Should my children be protecting
themselves from the sun?
6. How should I protect myself
from the sun?
7. What is SPF?
8. What
SPF should I use?
9. What else should I look for in a sunscreen?
10. How should I apply the sunscreen? 1.
Why do I need to protect myself from the sun's rays?
The sun
beams its energy to Earth as heat, visible light, and invisible light. This invisible
light consists of UVA and UVB light and it is this light that causes damage to
the skin that can result in skin cancer and wrinkles.
2. When should I protect myself?
Simply put, ALWAYS. Any time you can tell the difference between day and night,
UVA and UVB light lurks. The sun is at its strongest between 10am and 4pm. Even
on cloudy days, up to 80% of the UV rays still make it to the Earth's surface.
The intensity of UV light also depends on altitude and nearness to the equator.
For example, the UV intensity in Vail, Colorado (altitude 11,000 feet) is close
to 60% more than it is in New York City (sea level), and similar to that in Orlando
(closer to the equator). Some UV light even makes is through car windows, so if
you are in your car much of the day, you should wear sunscreen too!
3. Do I need to protect myself in the winter too?
YES! The sun's rays are still strong in the winter. Add to this the fact that
the snow can reflect up to 80% of UV rays (adding close to 40% in intensity) and
it's safe to say that there is still a high risk of sunburn and sun damage. It's
important to note, that in addition to snow, other surfaces like water, cement,
and sand can also reflect much of the sun's rays.
4. I've been in the sun all my life, is it too late
to start using sun protection?
NO! It's never too late and you can
always benefit from sun protection and prevent further skin damage and photoaging.
5. Should my children be protecting themselves from
the sun?
YES! It is very important to start protecting your children
as soon as possible. Believe it or not, close to 80% of a person's lifetime sun
damage occurs before 18 years of age, and the regular use of sunscreen can decrease
skin cancer by 80%! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sun avoidance
as the best form of protection for children younger than 6 months of age, but
has said that if sun cannot be avoided, it is OK to apply a minimal amount of
sun screen to the exposed areas (face, tops of hands).
6. How should I protect myself from the sun?
The best way to protect yourself is by avoiding the sun, particularly between
the hours of 10am and 4pm. The next best thing is wearing protective clothing,
the tighter the knitting, the better. If you can hold your shirt up to the sun
and see the rays come through, you may not be getting much protection. White T-shirts
only have an SPF of about 2-8. If you are wearing a hat, it is recommended that
you use one with at least a 4 inch brim. Finally, sunscreen is important to apply
to all exposed areas.
7. What is SPF?
SPF stands for sun protection factor. Basically, it means how much longer you
can be in the sun without burning. For example, if you burn after being in the
sun for 10 minutes, an SPF of 15 will allow you 150 minutes before you burn. It
is important to remember however, that SPF is determined in a laboratory and that
most people apply only half of the amount that is used when testing. If this is
the case, you are actually only getting half the SPF that is on the label!
8. What SPF should I use?
This mostly
depends on how easily you burn. For everyone, a minimum of SPF 15 should be used
on a regular basis. We would recommend and SPF of 30, routinely, to be on the
safer side.
9. What else should I look for in a sunscreen?
Well, SPF is only part of the battle, because SPF refers only to the protection
from UVB. The best sunscreens have coverage for BOTH UVA and UVB. There are usually
referred to as BROAD SPECTRUM sunscreens. In addition, there are some sunscreens
that contain agents that totally block the sun (physical sunscreens). These agents
are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide and are excellent sources of sun protection.
In addition, if you are going to be engaging in heavy activity, or swimming, you
may want to look for a water resistant or water proof (very resistant) sunscreen.
Water resistant means, the SPF is maintained after being in the water with moderate
activity for 40 minutes, and water proof for 80 minutes.
10. How should I apply the sunscreen?
1. Apply a generous amount, evenly, to ALL areas that will be exposed to the sun
(remember areas like the ears and lips). The average sized person needs about
1 ounce (a full shot glass worth) of sunscreen.
2. Sunscreen should be applied
20-30 minutes before going out into the sun on dry skin and should be used anytime
you will be in the sun longer than 20 minutes (even in the winter months). The
physical sunscreens (those with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) do not require
20-30 minutes before going into the sun and can be applied right before going
out.
3. It is very important to re-apply the sunscreen every 1 ½ hours while
outside or after swimming or vigorous activity (even the waterproof sunscreens).
While this seems like a lot, studies show that people who wait longer than 2 ½
hours to re-apply are 5 times as likely to burn.
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