Sun Safety: Your 4 Rules

We’re on a mission to bring you the sunscreen facts to print out, post on your mirror, and live by every day! Bookmark these four rules and get serious about sun care this summer.
Rule 1: Your Sunscreen is More Important than Your Foundation
80% of skin aging can be attributed to UV radiation exposure. Protect yourself with a broad-spectrum UVA/ UVB sunscreen with an SPF 30 or greater. Don’t depend on just your makeup to do the heavy lifting, we recommend wearing a daily moisturizer with SPF 30.  Sunscreen should be a daily habit, not a vacation ritual — think of it like brushing your teeth!
Rule 2: No Tan, No Burn
Remember the days when you sprayed “sun-in” in your hair, used baby oil and laid out with foil to cook your skin? Those were the days when everyone still believed it was healthy to get a “base tan.” (which only gives you the equivalent of about SPF 3) You probably know by now that the 80’s wasn’t the most health-conscious decade. So remember, pale skin is in. Any tan (or burn) is a sign of injury.
Rule 3: Sport SPF is Not a Free Ride
Whether it’s SPF of 5 . . . or 100, your sunscreen only works as long as it is properly applied.  The most common mistake is people don’t put enough of it on.  It takes a shot-glass full of sunscreen for full-body coverage.  And don’t get so comfortable with a higher SPF that you forget to reapply. The FDA recommends that you reapply every two-to-three hours for outdoor sports or activity.
Rule 4: Get Your Skin Checked Regularly
It’s important to schedule an annual full body skin exam with a board certified dermatologist. In between routine visits with your dermatologist, we also encourage everyone to do self-skin exams at home.  You want to look for new spots as well as those that are changing in size, shape or color or even spots that are not healing.  An easy way to remember what to look is to remember your “ABCD’s.”
In general, things to look for are moles that are asymmetric, have an uneven border, have color variation and a diameter larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser). Also, look for moles that are evolving – growing or changing in any way.
A = asymmetry
B = border
C = color
D = diameter, if a mole is larger than 6mm
E = evolving

. . . Check out more sun-smart tips in this Readers Digest article.
. . . Learn about the science behind the “base tan” myth in Scientific American magazine.

Call today to schedule your appointment for a full body exam for you and your loved ones! Everybody needs one once a year.