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Protected skin is ‘in’

Though you may crave a golden summer tan, consider that protected skin may offer longer lasting beauty. In addition to causing skin cancer, which affects one-out-of-five Americans during their lifetime, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause painful burns and peeling. Exposure over time can leave you with wrinkles and excess skin pigmentation that may make you appear older.

The sun emits three types of UV rays-UVA, UVB, and UVC. Fortunately, UVC rays, the most dangerous for our skin, are absorbed in our atmosphere before they can reach us. Both UVA and UVB wavelengths traverse the atmosphere.

These can damage our skin and cause skin cancers. UVA rays are typically responsible for aging (wrinkles), while UVB rays cause burning.

You can shield your skin from the most intense rays by avoiding sun exposure between 10 am and 2 pm. You should also cover your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

The sunscreen should contain the following ingredients: avobenzone and benzophenone, which are chemical ingredients; and titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are physical ingredients. Each component protects the skin in its own way.

Finally, your sunscreen should have an Sun Protection Factor (SPF) number no lower than thirty. SPF is a measure of time before skin will burn when exposed to the sun. Assuming that with no sunscreen at all, your skin would get burned within 20 minutes. Whereas, applying a sunscreen with SPF 30 would theoretically provide protection 30 times longer, or for as many as ten hours.

Apply one ounce, or a shot glass size volume, of sunscreen over your entire body 30 minutes before sun exposure. Despite the SPF, sunscreen should be re-applied in two hour intervals, and more often if you are sweating or swimming. Waterproof sunscreen does not exist. Water resistant indicates the product should be effective for up to 40 minutes in the presence of water or sweat.

If you regularly perform watersports or other activities in the sun, SPF clothing, including hats, shirts, pants, and accessories, can provide you with additional protection.

Absorbing a healthy amount of Vitamin D, which also occurs through sun exposure, may be a concern for you.

While there are no clear guidelines for this, you can try exposing your arms and legs to the sun for 20 – 30 minutes a day, two-to-three times a week during the spring and fall, and then reduce that time to 15-to-20 minutes during the summer months.

No matter what type of skin protection aids you use, regularly monitor your skin for signs of skin cancer.

When examining your skin, look for moles with asymmetry in contour, irregular borders, and color that varies within the same mole, as well as a diameter that is larger than a pencil eraser, along with a mole that evolves or changes. Schedule an annual check with your family physician or dermatologist, and report any new, non-healing skin lesions or changes in the skin.

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Dr. Nathalie Lavallee is a specialist in cosmetics/cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery at UPMC Susquehanna. She earned her medical degree from the University of Montreal and her plastic surgery certificate from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

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