Nikki Sommer, a nurse with the Key West Surgical Group, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning for Medical Matters.
Sunscreen is so important to protect from skin cancer.
Sommer said, “Anybody can get skin cancer, it doesn’t matter the age, gender, skin tone. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. I’ve had it.”
What’s the best sunscreen?
Sommer said, “A broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays, at least an SPF of 30 or higher, and one that is water resistant.”
What else can be done to protect our skin?
Sommer said, “You need to also have clothing. Down here you’ll see a lot of the fishermen, they’ll wear long sleeve shirts. My husband even has one with a hood to protect his whole body, because there’s certain areas on your body, like your back, you can’t put sunscreen on your back. So if you’re not going to have anybody that could put it on for you, wear clothes that have SPF protection. We should seek shade. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10am and 2pm, so kind of plan your day before 10am. If you’re going to do yard work or work outside, or be outside for long periods of time, between 10 and 2, that is when the sun’s rays are strong. So seek shade during that time.”
Avoiding tanning beds is also a good idea and remember sand and water can reflect the sun, too.
Sommer said, “The rays can reflect up. So a lot of times people, and this has happened to me, like, you’re in the water and you have a hat on, and you think you’re protected, but all of a sudden, the bottom of my neck will get really red, and it’s from the reflection of the sun hitting the water and hitting your body.”
Sunscreen should be applied every day – even when it’s cloudy.
Sommer said, “People that think like on a cloudy day, I don’t need sunscreen, not true. The areas that you don’t think about, top of your head, for sure, and even some people that have thinning hair, and I’ve even had sunburn on my head, just from I’m going to use Disney World as an example. I usually get sunburned on my head at Disney World, so now I wear a hat. One ounce of sunscreen is about what you need to cover your body to protect it.”
What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?
Sommer said, “Think of UVA as aging. Aging rays can prematurely age your skin, causing wrinkles, age spots and those rays can penetrate through glass. So when you’re driving, being in skincare, the left side of the body tends to have more sun damage than the right. Your arm is near the window, your arm is out. And the side of your face tends to have more sun damage. The UVB rays, which are known as the burning rays, are the primary cause of sunburn, and they are blocked by window glass. So that’s good to know, but those are the rays that cause the sunburn.”
So there’s really no safe way to tan.
“Exactly,” Sommer said, “Going out to say, I’m going to get a tan. My daughter said that to me. I almost lost my mind. I thought we were past that.”
What’s the best way to apply sunscreen?
Sommer said, “Creams are best for dry skin and applying on the face. Gels, which I really don’t see a lot of, are good for oily complexions and hairy areas such as like the scalp or a lot of males have a hairy chest. That hair doesn’t protect you from the sun, as we stated, so you still need sunscreen. The sticks are good for the face, around the eyes. Sprays, I know sprays are really convenient because it’s a quick and easy application, but especially with children, you need to make sure everything gets covered. Because a lot of times when you spray and it’s windy, it blows the sunscreen, and it might not get cover your child or yourself completely. So make sure, once you spray to rub it in.”
There are chemical and physical sunscreens.
Sommer said, “If your sunscreen doesn’t contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, you have a chemical sunscreen. There are some hybrid sunscreens. Just wear sunscreen. Dermatologists recommend using at least SPF of 30 which blocks 97% of the sun’s UVB rays. Higher number SPFs block slightly a little more of the UVB rays. But no sunscreen can block 100%. High number SPFs last the same amount of time as low number SPFs. So just because you have an SPF of 100, you still have to reapply. Like, it doesn’t last. It doesn’t mean it lasts longer. Like, Oh, I put on SPF 100 I’m good for six hours. No, you still need it’s no matter what SPF you put on, you should reapply in two hours, if you’re going to be outside.”
What about babies and toddlers?
Sommer said, “Under the age of six months, they don’t recommend applying sunscreen. So six months or older, you can apply sunscreen, but all infants and toddlers should be covered as much as possible in the sun. Their skin is very fragile and they’re most sensitive to the sun when they are that little. So sunscreen six months or older. If you have to take an infant younger than six months out, just make sure you have them covered, clothing, long sleeves, pants, have them wear a hat if they’re in the stroller, have a sun shade. Just keep them protected.”
What about old sunscreens you find at the bottom of the drawer?
Sommer said, “If there’s an expiration date on it and it’s expired, throw it away. If it doesn’t have an expiration date on it, now I would just throw it away, but they recommend, if you buy one and you can’t find an expiration date, to write the date on it. They recommended that you shouldn’t have leftover sunscreen. So if you’re applying it every day, especially down here, we should never have expired sunscreen, because, technically, we should be applying it every day.”
The FDA does require that all sunscreens retain their original strength for at least three years, so the expiration date should reflect that.
Sommer said, “They do recommend, though, not leaving it in the hot car, which, sometimes you leave your beach bag in the car, or if you go on the boat, frequently, if you leave your sunscreen on the boat, a lot of people vote down here, it can degrade the heat, so it’s a good idea not to leave it in areas where they may be exposed to high temperatures.”
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