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Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to The Peds Pod by Lebonheur Children's Hospital. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Sunscreen should be part of everyone's daily routine, but a lot of us only think of it during summertime. Today, we're going to find out more about sunscreen tips and get some important questions answered with Dr. Teresa Wright, Chief of Pediatric Dermatology. Thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Wright.

Dr. Teresa Wright: Well, thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here.

Host: This is such an important topic. Let's just start with, is it safe to wear sunscreen and how effective is it? Because I know some people think, "Oh, it's got too many chemicals in it," or whatever.

Dr. Teresa Wright: Yes, it is absolutely safe to wear sunscreen, and it is extremely important to wear sunscreen as we have ample evidence that excessive sun exposure and sunburns, particularly in childhood and early life definitely increase an individual's risk of skin cancers over time throughout their lifetime.

Host: I think I know how you're going to answer this, but who needs to wear sunscreen?

Dr. Teresa Wright: Everybody needs to wear a sunscreen.

Host: And it doesn't matter what kind of skin type you have, where you live, none of that, right? Just everyone across the board.

Dr. Teresa Wright: No. That is correct. Everybody should be mindful about sun exposure and wear sunscreen and take other measures to prevent excessive sun exposure even if you have more heavily pigmented skin. You are still going to be vulnerable to the additive effects of excessive sun exposure over time.

Host: What is the difference between SPF numbers?

Dr. Teresa Wright: So, the SPF numbers are a measure of protection against UVB ray from the sun. Those are the rays that are responsible for sunburn. And basically, what the number means, if you have an SPF of 15, that means that will allow you to stay in the sun 15 times longer, without getting a burn than you would be able to stay in the sun and experience sunburn. So, that amount of time is obviously going to be different for each person.

Host: So, do different skin tones need different SPF?

Dr. Teresa Wright: Not exactly. What I would say is that everyone should aim to use an SPF of at least 30. If you look at the level of protection, that UV protection that you get, with an SPF of 15, you get about 93% of those rays that you're being protected from. When you go to an SPF of 30, you bump up to 97%. Anything over that, you're getting a negligible increase in protection. So, most sunscreens that are marketed for children are usually going to have an SPF of around 50. And I always tell people the minimum should be 30. And you should not be looking for or paying extra for a sunscreen that claims to have SPF of 100 because that really doesn't exist and you would just be wasting your money.

Host: So, is it safe to tan?

Dr. Teresa Wright: No, it is absolutely not safe to tan. I always tell my patients never, ever intentionally tan because tanned skin is damaged skin. And that's what you're trying to avoid, is the damage that is being done to the skin. Now, some people tan easily, and I have, you know, plenty of patients who come in that parents say they are being mindful about using sunscreen properly and kids are still getting some color or getting a bit tan. So, people tan easily. But what I always say is you should not be trying to get a tan on purpose. You should be trying to limit the amount of tanning, and you should definitely be avoiding sunburn.

Host: And how often should you reapply sunscreen because I know when I was younger, I thought the higher the number, the less often I have to reapply. But I don't think that's accurate.

Dr. Teresa Wright: No. So, you should reapply it at least every two hours, and you should reapply more often if you're sweating a lot or if you are in and out of the water and your skin is getting wet. Now, when you go to by a sunscreen or sunblock, I would say you want to look for a product that has on the label that it is water resistant. There's really no such thing as completely waterproof sunscreen or sunblock, but they do make products that are water resistant, and that will help them stay on your skin a little bit better. But you still need to reapply at least every couple of hours.

Host: Dr. Wright, is there a safe amount of time to be in the sun without sunscreen? I think you pretty much already answered this, but let's just clarify.

Dr. Teresa Wright: Yeah, I mean, that's a tough question because, depending on the amount of pigment you have in your skin, you know, that does give you some protection from the UV rays. But at some point, the damage is going to kick in regardless of the amount of pigment that you have in your skin. So, I think it's just best to go ahead and protect your skin from the sun regardless of that consideration. That way too you don't have to worry about getting out and getting busy, having fun and forgetting to put it on.

Host: Better safe than sorry. I wish we knew this when we were in high school because we used to get out there and tan with the foil and cardboard. Oh, when you think back on that, it's not good.

Dr. Teresa Wright: Yeah, I always say, well, now we know better, so we need to do better.

Host: Exactly. If it's cloudy, do we still need to wear sunscreen?

Dr. Teresa Wright: Absolutely. You can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day, and the sun's rays are still coming through the atmosphere, and we're still getting exposed to those damaging UV rays.

Host: Is there anything else you'd like to share that we didn't cover?

Dr. Teresa Wright: Well, one thing is I'd like people to remember that sunscreen or sunblock is really only one component of a good regimen to protect yourself from the sun. Please remember that protective clothing is important. You know, there's great clothing that you can buy from various companies that is designed to protect your skin from excessive sun exposure. Wear hats when you're outside. it's best to try to wear a hat with a broad brim that goes all the way around your head, not just a ball cap or a visor, which may shield your face a bit, but not your ears and your neck, which are places where older people tend to develop skin cancers later in life. And wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun as well. And try to take breaks in the shade. Because sometimes people come in with their child or someone has gotten a sunburn, and they say, you know, "We were using this sunscreen and we were putting it on regularly throughout the day, and they still got a burn." Well, I mean, the reality is there is no sunscreen or sunblock that can protect you indefinitely from extended sun exposure.

At some point, you are going to exceed the limit of the ability of that sunscreen or sunblock to provide protection. So, really trying to avoid the time of day when the sun's rays are brightest, which in general we usually say is 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Obviously, that's going to vary some depending on where you are in the world, how close you are to the equator. But you want to try to limit the amount of time that you are outdoors during those hours in particular. So, trying to do things earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon or early evening outside is better. And if you are going to be out there in the brightest part of the day, getting into the shade periodically is important.

Host: And finally, what about tinted sunscreens that have a little bit of makeup in them?

Dr. Teresa Wright: Yeah, I think tinted sunscreens are fine. No problem with those for teenagers or adults who want to have something that has a little bit of skin tone kind of color in it. For most younger kids or kids in general, that's not going to be a consideration or something they're really concerned about.

Host: Well, thank you so much. This has been such useful information. It's so helpful. Thank you for talking with us and sharing your expertise.

Dr. Teresa Wright: It has been my pleasure. Thank you again for having me.

Host: Absolutely. I look forward to talking to you again. Again, that's Dr. Teresa Wright. And if you'd like to find out more, please visit lebonheur.org. That's L-E-B-O-N-H-E-U-R.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks for listening to The Peds Pod by Lebonheur Children's Hospital.