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Where looking good is understood!
APRIL NEWSLETTER
Sun Protection 101
This month in our newsletter, we thought it would be a great idea to make everyone an expert about sunscreen. Putting on sunscreen is one of the best things you can do to prevent sun damage and wrinkles! Sunscreen was first developed in 1944, to protect the troops during World War II. It has come a long way since then.
What’s in those sun rays?
An excellent way to prevent skin aging is by avoiding the damaging effects of sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation is an invisible component of sunlight. Sunlight has two major ultraviolet components that result in damage to the skin: Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB). UVB is responsible for burning the superficial layers of the skin. The effects of this include skin redness, pain, swelling and blisters (if the exposure is long enough and severe enough). UVB is partially absorbed by the ozone layer. UVA is responsible for causing damage to the deeper layers of the skin, resulting in wrinkles and destruction of collagen and elastin. It is thought that UVA is responsible for the development of skin cancer. UVA can penetrate windows. Unprotected sun exposure also leads to pigmentary changes or discoloration of the skin.
Sunscreens
Most sunscreens work by containing either an organic chemical compound that absorbs ultraviolet light (such as oxybenzone) or an opaque material that reflects light (such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, or a combination of both. Typically, absorptive materials are referred to as chemical blocks, whereas opaque materials are mineral or physical blocks. Not all compounds are effective at blocking both UVA and UVB rays, thus a combination of ingredients is commonly used.
There are two newer ingredients out this past year. Helioplex is a chemical that stabilizes Parsol 1789 (avobenzone) and keeps it from breaking down as rapidly. Ecamsule (Mexoryl) is a photostable organic UVA absorber. The chart below helps to show how different materials work at different wavelengths.
What the SPF really means
Sunscreens are rated by SPF which stands for sun protection factor. SPF is defined as the ratio of time it takes the minimal dose of ultraviolet radiation (UVB) to produce skin redness with and without a sunscreen. This means that if a person’s skin turns red with 10 minutes of sun exposure then applying a sunscreen with a SPF of 2 will keep the person’s skin from turning red with 20 minutes of sun exposure. Notice nothing said above has anything to do with UVA! The SPF is an imperfect measure of skin damage because invisible damage and skin aging is also caused by the very common UVA, which does not cause reddening or pain. Conventional sunscreen does not block UVA as effectively as UVB. According to a 2004 study, UVA also causes DNA damage to cells deep within the skin, increasing the risk of malignant melanomas. Even some products labeled "broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection" do not provide good protection against UVA rays. The best UVA protection is provided by products that contain zinc oxide, avobenzone (Parsol 1789), or ecamsule (mexoryl.) Titanium dioxide probably gives good protection, but does not completely cover the entire UVA spectrum. The best sunscreens protect against both UVB (ultraviolet radiation with wavelength between 290 and 320 nanometers), which can cause sunburn, and UVA (between 320 and 400 nanometers), which damages the skin with more long-term effects, such as premature skin aging.
Bottom Line: the best sunscreens have a combination of ingredients: something to block UVB with an additional ingredient or ingredients that block UVA.
Other factors to consider when using a sunscreen include whether the individual will be sweating or swimming, which can remove the sunscreen resulting in the need for frequent re-application. It is also important to find a sunscreen with ingredients that won’t cause a rash, cause/promote acne or sting the eyes (to date Dr. Carter has not found a sunscreen that won’t sting his eyes). This usually requires the individual to experiment with different products. A sunscreen with moisturizer or emollients should be used for dry skin and a plain sunscreen for oily skin. Experts recommend that sunscreen be applied 20-30 minutes before going out in the sun, and reapplied 30 minutes to 2 hours later.
Controversies Regarding Sunscreens
In the past few years, some physicians have made claims that lack of sun exposure can impair vitamin D absorption. While this is true, the claims are mostly applicable to those who never go outside, such as a nursing home population. There are also some claims regarding the safety of the chemicals used in sunscreens, however, there are no studies yet substantiating these claims. We would recommend wearing sunscreen at the present time, as we believe the benefits outweigh the risks.
Sun protective clothing
It also helps to wear clothing to avoid the rays of the sun. Hats provide an SPF of 3-6. Summer-weight clothing has an SPF of 6-8. Specific “sun-protective” clothing can have an SPF of 30.
In summary, it is important that you wear sunscreen daily. We emphasize this in our practice and hope that you incorporate sunscreen into your daily skin care regimen
Our monthly newsletter has drawn to a close. We hope you enjoyed the information.
Sincerely,
The Staff at Integrated Skin Solutions- “Where looking good is understood!”
7424 NW River Park Drive (Hwy 9)
Parkville, MO 64152-5028
816.505.5550 Fax 816.505.4550
www.integratedskin.com
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