Use lots more sunscreen, experts warn
With all the fun that summer brings, nothing kills the celebratory mood like talk about skin cancer. Unfortunately, the two go hand in hand. So unless you plan on locking yourself in a basement for the rest of the year, listen up. "(People) don't use enough sunscreen," says Dr. Christopher Dannaker, medical director of 90210 Dermatology in Beverly Hills. The latest concern is that with many sunscreen products boasting SPFs as high as 70, wearers have become overconfident in their protection and therefore overexpose their bodies. The truth is that no sunscreen blocks all of the sun's damaging rays, and people rarely apply enough to reach the SPF level printed on the bottle. SPF is a measure of how long you can stay in the sun without burning compared with no sunscreen at all. Someone whose skin turns the color of baked ham after 10minutes would get 150minutes of protection from SPF15. If you're spending an entire day at the beach, Dannaker suggests you use "nearly half a tube of sunscreen," reapplying the lotion every couple of hours. UVB radiation is the primary cause of sunburn and what most sunscreens protect against. UVA is the wild card. Scientists used to think UVA played only a minor role in skin damage. That's why tanning salons loved to tout tanning beds that emitted mostly UVA light. Now studies are showing UVA is a major contributor to skin damage, penetrating deeper into the skin and traveling through car windows. One of the latest advancements in sunscreen technology is a UVA filter from L'Oreal called Mexoryl SX. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the filter doesn't break down with increased sun exposure, making it more effective than its predecessors. Neutrogena also has a new photo-stable UVA filter called Helioplex. In addition to sunscreen, the clothes we wear also can help protect us from the dangers of UV rays. Tighter-woven clothing, dark colors and longer lengths provide the best protection, experts say. Unfortunately, summer fashions tend to head in the opposite direction. Sonja Aeschbacher, co-owner of the Los Angeles-based apparel line AYANA (ayanaapparel.com), which she manages with husband Frank, tackled the dilemma of style vs. safety after moving to Southern California from Switzerland four years ago. "I wanted to give women choices on how to actively control sun exposure on their skin," she says. After about two years of research, the line was certified as providing effective UV-protection, and a test line was launched last fall. AYANA clothing works in two ways. First, titanium dioxide (a known UVA blocker) is woven into the fabric. A UV absorber is then added to the finish. "Even if it's a cloudy day, the UV rays are there," Aeschbacher says. "You can't see them, but they're there." Semhar Debessai, (818) 713-3665
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