Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 18)

TRUE OR FALSE: Any SPF (sun protection factor) higher than 30 is a bunch of hooey. FALSE I hate to be a party pooper, but that SPF 4 tanning oil isn't helping your skin. Turns out, a higher number really is better. An SPF 15 ﬁlters out about 93 percent of all UVB rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97 percent, and SPF 50 keeps out 98 percent. The differences may seem negligible, but if you are light-sensitive or have a history of skin cancer, they can make an impact. Plus, over a lifetime, a few more percentage points can add up to a lot less sun damage. "For regular daily use, an SPF of 15 or 30 is more than adequate," says Steven Q. Wang, MD, a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation. "But if you're spending a lot of time outdoors, you need something higher, like SPF 50." TRUE OR FALSE: The sun's rays are all dangerous, so you have to block them all. TRUE UVA? UVB? UB40? OK, so the 1980s band behind the song "Red, Red Wine" has nothing to do with sun protection, but it's easy to get confused with all these abbreviations ﬂoating around. When shopping for a sunblock, not only are you deciding which SPF to get, but you also have to look for a product that protects against both types of damaging rays. Ultraviolet B rays are the chief culprits behind sunburns. They play a large role in the development of skin cancer, and their intensity varies with the season, location and time of day. It was once thought that UVB rays were the only worrisome ones, but we now know that UVA does damage, too. Ultraviolet A rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB and play a major role in aging and wrinkling. Until recently, scientists believed that UVA's damage was all superﬁcial, but new studies show that UVA rays do, in fact, contribute to skin cancer. So what does it all mean as you navigate the sunscreen aisle? "Look for a sunscreen labeled broadspectrum, which means it meets the FDA standards for both UVA and UVB protection," Wang says. 18 SU M M E R 2 014 TRUE OR FALSE: Wearing sunscreen can be bad for you. FALSE OK, this one was easy. But some people shy away from sunscreen, believing it poses a health risk. Consider those myths ofﬁcially debunked. "There have been some ideas perpetuated that sunscreen is really a cause of melanoma. This was most likely due largely to the fact that older products didn't offer UVA protection," Wang says. "A clinical trial in 2010 showed that daily use of sunscreen reduced the risk of developing skin cancer by 50 percent." Another common misconception is that wearing sunscreen will limit your ability to get enough vitamin D. While it's true that the sun's rays are a source of this nutrient, they certainly aren't the only one. "When you consider the health risks compared to the health beneﬁts of getting your vitamin D from the sun, it really becomes apparent that oral intake from diet and supplements is the preferred method of obtaining the vitamin," Wang says. TRUE OR FALSE: Even under total cloud cover, sunscreen is essential. TRUE Sunscreen should be a part of your daily routine, not just something you throw in your beach bag. Even on an overcast day, up to 40 percent of the sun's ultraviolet radiation reaches Earth. This can lead to serious sunburn, because when you don't feel the sun's rays, you may be inclined to spend hours outdoors without protection.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
3 Ways to Give
Summer Numbers
Stress SOS
The Truth About Sunscreen
The Transformers
Get Your Head in the Game
The Journey Continues
On the Cover
The Foot Follies
Friendly Fat
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Back in the Swing
And the Beat Goes On
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Gwinnett Medical Center