Does SPF Really Protect You From the Sun?
The higher the number the better it is. Right? I would rather have $1000.00 than $100.00. I would rather have a 18th grade education than an 8th grade education. I would rather bat 350 than 250. All right. I would rather have a golf score of 120 than 90. WRONG! I would rather walk up 4 flights of stairs at home than 2 flights. WRONG! I would rather use SPF 50 than SPF 15. NOT NECESSARILY!
SPF tells you how many times the normal exposure to sunlight you can tolerate before burning. So if an SPF 50 is better than 15 where are you going to go to get 50 times normal burning exposure. An oven? This is getting to be more aof a marketing gimmick than a health issue.
What does matter is how often you put on the sunscreen so that it forms a reservoir to protect your skin. Ideally you put on sunscreen an hour before going outside, then reapply it just before exposure. If you will maintain direct exposure as on the golf course or on a boat put the sunscreen on again every 2 hours. That's the secret.
The other thing you need to know is that there are chemical and non-chemical sunscreens. Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide are non-chemical and all the others are chemical. So if you havge sensitive skin use non-chemical and make sure you cover all your exposed skin and not parts of it.
Read labels, use sunscreens, wear tee shirts when possible, and use sun hats with a circumferential brim. Have fun and be safe.
Edward Lack, MD www.metropolitanmds.com
SPF tells you how many times the normal exposure to sunlight you can tolerate before burning. So if an SPF 50 is better than 15 where are you going to go to get 50 times normal burning exposure. An oven? This is getting to be more aof a marketing gimmick than a health issue.
What does matter is how often you put on the sunscreen so that it forms a reservoir to protect your skin. Ideally you put on sunscreen an hour before going outside, then reapply it just before exposure. If you will maintain direct exposure as on the golf course or on a boat put the sunscreen on again every 2 hours. That's the secret.
The other thing you need to know is that there are chemical and non-chemical sunscreens. Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide are non-chemical and all the others are chemical. So if you havge sensitive skin use non-chemical and make sure you cover all your exposed skin and not parts of it.
Read labels, use sunscreens, wear tee shirts when possible, and use sun hats with a circumferential brim. Have fun and be safe.
Edward Lack, MD www.metropolitanmds.com
posted by Edward Lack MD at 8:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home