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Skin Health Skin Health Basics

Protecting Your Skin from the Sun

Summary & Participants

When the sun beckons, the urge to soak it up can be irresistable. It can also be dangerous.

Medically Reviewed On: August 01, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: The urge to soak up the sun can be irresistable. But with skin cancer reaching epidemic levels in the united states, you’d better grab the sunscreen before you head outside.

ANDREA CAMBIO, MD, DERMATOLOGIST: Have you noticed any new moles recently?

ANNOUNCER: According to the American Cancer Society, one million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year – that’s half of all new cancers combined.

ANDREA CAMBIO, MD, DERMATOLOGIST: It only takes one blistering sunburn to double our chances of getting melanoma later on in life. So we need to really protect ourselves and parents should really pay attention to protecting their children.

ANNOUNCER: The villain is ultra violet light – both u-v-a and u-v-b rays from the sun that actually damage the d-n-a in your skin.

ANDREA CAMBIO, MD, DERMATOLOGIST: Even if you are a little pink at the end of the day, some damage has been done, and you are at a higher risk of developing skin cancers.

ANNOUNCER: So what’s a sun worshipper to do? Doctors recommend covering up and avoiding the midday sun. But if you are determined to bare some skin, protect yourself! Choose a sunscreen that has an s-p-f or sun protection factor of 15 or greater. Make sure the label says it blocks both uva and uvb rays. Also check the expiration date! Then make sure you use it the right way - everytime you go out.

ANDREA CAMBIO, MD, DERMATOLOGIST: You should apply sun block about half an hour, 20 minutes before you go out, because it needs to be absorbed in the skin first. You want to take about an ounce and that should cover your entire body. Don’t forget abut the areas most people forget about – ears, back of your neck, tops of your feet. And you want to reapply every two hours.

ANNOUNCER: Finally, clouds are little protection against damaging sunlight. So dermatologists recommend using your sunscreen everyday! Thanks for joing us on today’s Once Daily!