With more than 3.5 million skin cancers diagnosed annually in over two million people, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF), it’s essential that we know how to apply sunscreen to protect ourselves from UV damage.
Many parents are unsure about how to protect themselves and their kids from the sun’s damaging effects effectively.
Jessica Dehler, PA-C, Allina Health Dean Lakes Clinic, is here to shed light on these common sunscreen myths and providing some smart sun safety tips you can practice all year long.
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Top Sunscreen Myths and Tips
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Learn more about Jessica Dehler
Jessica Dehler, PA-C, Allina Health Dean Lakes Clinic
Jessica Dehler is a board-certified physician assistant specializing in family medicine at Allina Health Dean Lakes clinic. Jessica is a mom and an avid runner who often competes in 5ks and an occasional marathon. She also enjoys the outdoors, canoeing, camping and boating.Learn more about Jessica Dehler
Transcription:
Top Sunscreen Myths and Tips
Melanie Cole (Host): According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are more than 3.5 million skin cancers diagnosed annually. It’s essential that we know how to apply sunscreen to protect ourselves from UV damage. My guest today is Jessica Dehler. She’s a board-certified physician assistant specializing in family medicine at Allina Health Dean Lakes Clinic. Welcome to the show, Jessica. Tell us a little bit about some of the myths and facts regarding sunscreen. Do you need sunscreen if it’s cool or if it’s cloudy out there or if it’s wintertime?
Jessica Dehler (Guest): Very good question. I would say that’s probably where people run into a problem more often. Forty percent of damaging sun rays can still penetrate when it’s cloudy, so sunscreen should be used every day, regardless.
Melanie: It doesn’t matter the weather. Now, here’s a big myth that people are thinking
is the cause of many ills in the country today. Does sunscreen block vitamin D?
Jessica: Well, I would say no. We feel that you get enough vitamin D through your diet, your calcium-fortified foods, your dairy, so there is going to be more benefit if you’re wearing the sunscreen and just make sure your diet is well balanced and no concerns about vitamin D deficiency.
Melanie: Using sunscreen does not block your body’s ability to make its own vitamin D. That’s very good to know. Now, what about children and babies? We see 50 and 70. Do we use sunscreen that is made for children and babies and are those numbers correct? Explain about some of those numbers for us, Jessica.
Jessica: Sure. Most dermatologists feel that an SPF of 15 to 30 is going to be appropriate. SPF is actually blocking UVB rays. It doesn’t actually protect you against UVA that we know of. UVB, those are the rays that can cause sunburns. UVA are the ones that cause premature aging, sun damage to the skin, the wrinkles. When you’re looking at sunscreens, you don’t necessarily have to say for children, but you want something that’s considered broad-spectrum. For children, if you’re playing around the water environment, it’s probably good to get one that is water-resistant. There’s a difference between water-proof and water-resistant. Water-proof means that it will maintain its SPF up to 40 minutes of constant water exposure and then will start to decline, while water-resistant means that it will maintain its SPF up to 80 minutes of constant water exposure. I feel that water-resistant gives you a little extra protection. For children or all ages, the goal with the sunscreen is really to reapply after two hours of use. I would also say for little ones, if they’re under six months of age, they really shouldn’t be out in the sun. We want to keep them covered. They don’t have enough melanin in their skin at that age. They are more prone to sunburn. Keeping them covered with a hat, lightweight clothing, umbrellas, that’s going to be important.
Melanie: Does it matter if we use creams or sprays because we all know that chasing kids around to put sunscreen on is never the easiest thing to try and do every couple of hours.
Jessica: Correct. I have a two-year-old. I like the spray. Now, a couple of things with the spray. You wouldn’t want to spray directly on their face. We want to probably put it on the adult’s hand and then rub it in on the face. Another thing with the spray, too, is it could be a lung irritant, so make sure you’re in a well-ventilated room or outside when you’re using that spray. They can work well for kids that have short attention span.
Melanie: Do you need to worry about using sunscreen or getting sunburned if you have dark skin?
Jessica: Yes. All skin types are at risk. Now, if you have a darker complexion, technically, you have to provide added SPF compared to someone who is light-[complexed], but everyone is at risk for sun damage, skin cancers. The concern also is darker-complexed people, sometimes we don’t catch those scary skin cancers until they’re later stage melanomas. Yes, everyone should wear it.
Melanie: Is it okay to use the skin stuff, the sunscreen that we bought last year for this year? Do you want to get new every year?
Jessica: Well, things that could affect the effectiveness of the sunscreen would be was it exposed to high temperatures? If that happens, that could change the consistency of it and the effectiveness of it. You also want to look at the expiration date of the sunscreen. Most bottles are going to be good for three years. But if you’re really keeping a bottle around for three years, that tells me that you’re not reapplying it enough. When we go back to that rule, reapplying every two hours, you’re going to be using at least a couple of bottles a year.
Melanie: What about the sunscreens that have the really high numbers? You see SPF 100-plus or 90. Do we believe those? Are they completely blocking the sun’s rays for us?
Jessica: There aren’t any sunscreen products that give you a hundred percent protection. The SPFs that are in the 100s, those are more marketing ploys. Again, an SPF that’s going to be 15 to 30 to 50 SPF, I would say, is going to be appropriate as long as it’s broad spectrum for patients.
Melanie: Tell us about the people who think they should go to the tanning salon and get a base tan before they go to Florida or before they go out in the sun in the summer. What do you think about that base tan and give us a little bit of your best advice about tanning salons.
Jessica: Tanning a base tan. That is not technically proven to give you any added sun protection. It does not take the place of sunscreen. If anything, it can make you more prone to premature aging and skin cancers like melanoma. So, that is not the way to go.
Melanie: In just the last few minutes, Jessica, if you would, give the listeners your best advice about sunscreens, myths and facts, really tell them what you want them to know about using sunscreen, applying it often, really using it correctly and checking their skin for any suspicious-looking moles or spots.
Jessica: Definitely. Any type of new moles or spots that are changing, getting larger or painful, those need to be evaluated by your provider. Definitely go in to the doctor, get those checked out. With sunscreen, we really need to make sure that we don’t miss those areas that could make you more prone to sunburn like the parts on your hair, the ear tips, the back of your neck. You got to cover all those areas to help you get that extra protection. Wearing hats, wearing sunglasses, lightweight clothing, those are going to complement the sunscreen. The real key to sunscreen is to reapply frequently.
Melanie: It’s definitely great information. Thank you so much. You are listening to the WELLcast with Allina Health. For more information, you can go to allinahealth.org. That’s allinahealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Top Sunscreen Myths and Tips
Melanie Cole (Host): According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are more than 3.5 million skin cancers diagnosed annually. It’s essential that we know how to apply sunscreen to protect ourselves from UV damage. My guest today is Jessica Dehler. She’s a board-certified physician assistant specializing in family medicine at Allina Health Dean Lakes Clinic. Welcome to the show, Jessica. Tell us a little bit about some of the myths and facts regarding sunscreen. Do you need sunscreen if it’s cool or if it’s cloudy out there or if it’s wintertime?
Jessica Dehler (Guest): Very good question. I would say that’s probably where people run into a problem more often. Forty percent of damaging sun rays can still penetrate when it’s cloudy, so sunscreen should be used every day, regardless.
Melanie: It doesn’t matter the weather. Now, here’s a big myth that people are thinking
is the cause of many ills in the country today. Does sunscreen block vitamin D?
Jessica: Well, I would say no. We feel that you get enough vitamin D through your diet, your calcium-fortified foods, your dairy, so there is going to be more benefit if you’re wearing the sunscreen and just make sure your diet is well balanced and no concerns about vitamin D deficiency.
Melanie: Using sunscreen does not block your body’s ability to make its own vitamin D. That’s very good to know. Now, what about children and babies? We see 50 and 70. Do we use sunscreen that is made for children and babies and are those numbers correct? Explain about some of those numbers for us, Jessica.
Jessica: Sure. Most dermatologists feel that an SPF of 15 to 30 is going to be appropriate. SPF is actually blocking UVB rays. It doesn’t actually protect you against UVA that we know of. UVB, those are the rays that can cause sunburns. UVA are the ones that cause premature aging, sun damage to the skin, the wrinkles. When you’re looking at sunscreens, you don’t necessarily have to say for children, but you want something that’s considered broad-spectrum. For children, if you’re playing around the water environment, it’s probably good to get one that is water-resistant. There’s a difference between water-proof and water-resistant. Water-proof means that it will maintain its SPF up to 40 minutes of constant water exposure and then will start to decline, while water-resistant means that it will maintain its SPF up to 80 minutes of constant water exposure. I feel that water-resistant gives you a little extra protection. For children or all ages, the goal with the sunscreen is really to reapply after two hours of use. I would also say for little ones, if they’re under six months of age, they really shouldn’t be out in the sun. We want to keep them covered. They don’t have enough melanin in their skin at that age. They are more prone to sunburn. Keeping them covered with a hat, lightweight clothing, umbrellas, that’s going to be important.
Melanie: Does it matter if we use creams or sprays because we all know that chasing kids around to put sunscreen on is never the easiest thing to try and do every couple of hours.
Jessica: Correct. I have a two-year-old. I like the spray. Now, a couple of things with the spray. You wouldn’t want to spray directly on their face. We want to probably put it on the adult’s hand and then rub it in on the face. Another thing with the spray, too, is it could be a lung irritant, so make sure you’re in a well-ventilated room or outside when you’re using that spray. They can work well for kids that have short attention span.
Melanie: Do you need to worry about using sunscreen or getting sunburned if you have dark skin?
Jessica: Yes. All skin types are at risk. Now, if you have a darker complexion, technically, you have to provide added SPF compared to someone who is light-[complexed], but everyone is at risk for sun damage, skin cancers. The concern also is darker-complexed people, sometimes we don’t catch those scary skin cancers until they’re later stage melanomas. Yes, everyone should wear it.
Melanie: Is it okay to use the skin stuff, the sunscreen that we bought last year for this year? Do you want to get new every year?
Jessica: Well, things that could affect the effectiveness of the sunscreen would be was it exposed to high temperatures? If that happens, that could change the consistency of it and the effectiveness of it. You also want to look at the expiration date of the sunscreen. Most bottles are going to be good for three years. But if you’re really keeping a bottle around for three years, that tells me that you’re not reapplying it enough. When we go back to that rule, reapplying every two hours, you’re going to be using at least a couple of bottles a year.
Melanie: What about the sunscreens that have the really high numbers? You see SPF 100-plus or 90. Do we believe those? Are they completely blocking the sun’s rays for us?
Jessica: There aren’t any sunscreen products that give you a hundred percent protection. The SPFs that are in the 100s, those are more marketing ploys. Again, an SPF that’s going to be 15 to 30 to 50 SPF, I would say, is going to be appropriate as long as it’s broad spectrum for patients.
Melanie: Tell us about the people who think they should go to the tanning salon and get a base tan before they go to Florida or before they go out in the sun in the summer. What do you think about that base tan and give us a little bit of your best advice about tanning salons.
Jessica: Tanning a base tan. That is not technically proven to give you any added sun protection. It does not take the place of sunscreen. If anything, it can make you more prone to premature aging and skin cancers like melanoma. So, that is not the way to go.
Melanie: In just the last few minutes, Jessica, if you would, give the listeners your best advice about sunscreens, myths and facts, really tell them what you want them to know about using sunscreen, applying it often, really using it correctly and checking their skin for any suspicious-looking moles or spots.
Jessica: Definitely. Any type of new moles or spots that are changing, getting larger or painful, those need to be evaluated by your provider. Definitely go in to the doctor, get those checked out. With sunscreen, we really need to make sure that we don’t miss those areas that could make you more prone to sunburn like the parts on your hair, the ear tips, the back of your neck. You got to cover all those areas to help you get that extra protection. Wearing hats, wearing sunglasses, lightweight clothing, those are going to complement the sunscreen. The real key to sunscreen is to reapply frequently.
Melanie: It’s definitely great information. Thank you so much. You are listening to the WELLcast with Allina Health. For more information, you can go to allinahealth.org. That’s allinahealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.