Posts Tagged ‘uvb’

A New Look for your Old Sunscreen: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Your sunscreen bottle may look different in the next year or two! Earlier this month, the FDA issued new labeling regulations on sunscreens. Below is quick summary of the new requirements:

Sunscreens may be labeled “broad-spectrum” if they provide protection against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.

Only broad-spectrum sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher can state that they protect again skin cancer if used as directed with other sun protection measures.
Sunscreens with an SPF of 2-14 will be required to have a warning stating that the product has not been shown to help prevent skin cancer or early skin aging.
The terms “sunblock”, “sweatproof” and “waterproof” are no longer allowed on sunscreen labels.
A sunscreen may claim to be “water resistant”; however, the product must specify if it offers 40 minutes or 80 minutes of protection while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Sunscreens that are not water resistant must include a direction instructing consumers to use a water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.
Sunscreens cannot claim to provide sun protection for more than two hours without reapplication.
Sunscreen manufacturers will have one year to comply with the FDA ruling; smaller companies will have two years.
The ingredients in sunscreens marketed today have been used for many years and FDA does not have any reason to believe these products are not safe for consumer use.

The FDA reiterated that sunscreen alone is not enough, and should be used in conjunction with a complete sun protection regimen, including seeking shade, wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, hats and sunglasses.

As always, be sure to use a shot glass sized amount of sunscreen for your body and a large nickel size for your face. Re-application is key! Make it easy to remember by carrying sunscreen in your purse, bag and car. If you don’t like to reapply a lotion form of sunblock, try the Colorscience Pro Sunforgettable Mineral Powder, a quick and easy way to touch up throughout the day.

For more details on the changes to sunscreen labeling, please visit the FDA’s website.

Confused about Vitamin D? Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

There is so much information circulating now on vitamin D, its benefits to your health and how one should go about obtaining it, that its no wonder people are confused.

Let’s start with why is vitamin D important to our health. We have long known that vitamin D allows our bodies to absorb and use calcium, which is essential for healthy bones. However, there are some recent studies that suggest it may also play a role in preventing certain cancers and diseases. This information, combined with the fact that vitamin D levels appear lower among Americans today than 15 to 20 years ago (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), have sparked the conversation on whether or not we are getting enough vitamin D for optimal health.

Some of the confusion is caused by the fact that vitamin D is produced by the skin following exposure to the sun’s UV rays (specifically UVB rays), yet we are consistently told to avoid the sun, tanning beds and to glob on sunscreen daily.

So, what is wrong with tanning or tanning beds to get our vitamin D? As a dermatologist, I continue to recommend that my patients minimize their sun exposure, avoid tanning beds and always wear their sunscreen. The potential risk for skin cancers and photo damage is too great to obtain your vitamin D through tanning.

Another argument against sun exposure for vitamin D is that the amount produced by the skin varies depending on time of day, season, latitude, age and skin pigmentation. For example, UV exposure is unlikely to produce enough vitamin D in darker skin, so relying on the sun alone puts these skin types especially at risk for deficiency. Also, the skin of the elderly has a reduced ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight. Between November and February, UVB radiation is insufficient to produce adequate vitamin D for people living above 42 degrees north latitude, which includes Boston, northern California and other northern areas.

So how do we ensure we are getting enough vitamin D? Diet and supplements remain the safest and most consistent way for people of all ages and skin types to get their Vitamin D. Vitamin D can be found in fortified dairy products and cereals, orange juice, egg yolks, oily fish and dietary supplements. Try to look for supplements containing vitamin D3, the form most easily absorbed by the body.

If you still feel that the sun is a good way to get your vitamin D, it is important to realize that for lighter skin types, a few up to fifteen minutes of mid-day sun exposure on your forearms, a few times a week, would provide adequate vitamin D, so tanning will never be a safe or recommended option.

I support current recommendations from United States dermatology groups, which are 1,000 - 1500 IUs (international units) a day of vitamin D and 1000 mg of calcium for a healthy adult. Check with your doctor to be sure this amount is appropriate for you. This potential role of vitamin D and disease prevention is of great interest and I look forward to more information as further studies are conducted.

Test Your Sunscreen IQ: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Know enough about sunscreens? Test your sunscreen knowledge by taking the following short quiz, recently published in the Skin Cancer Foundation Journal. You may be surprised by how much you do or do not know about this important topic. See answers at the end of the blog.

1. A sunscreen’s SPF, which stands for Sun Protection Factor, measures protections against the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. SPF numbers indicate

a. How long the skin will take to redden in the sun when using the sunscreen, compared to how long the skin would take to redden without sunscreen

b. The percentage of active ingredients in the sunscreen

c. The number of hours you can stay out in the sun

2. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 protects against approximately 93 percent of the sun’s UVB rays. A sunscreen with an SPF 30 protects against

a. 93 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, and 93 percent of the sun’s UVA rays

b. 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays

c. 100 percent of the sun’s UVB rays

3. If you apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 20, and then apply another sunscreen with an SPF of 30, what is the total value of the SPF you’ve applied?

a. SPF 25

b. SPF 30

c. SPF 50

4. How many sunscreen ingredients are currently available in the US?

a. 12

b. 15

c. 17

5. Sunscreen ingredients fall into two broad categories, inorganic/physical and organic/chemical. The two inorganic ingredients are:

a. Titanium dioxide and cinoxate

b. Cinoxate and zinc oxide

c. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide

6. Doctors recommend applying one ounce (two tablespoons) of sunscreen to the body 30 minutes prior to sun exposure, and then again

a. After one hour outside

b. After one hour outside on sunny days

c. After two hours outside

7. Because children have delicate skin, sunscreen should not be used on babies

a. Under three months

b. Under six months

c. Under one year

8. For a sunscreen to provide adequate UVA spectrum protection, it must include one or more of the following ingredients:

a. homosalate, octinoxate, PABA, octisalate

b. avobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, ecamsule (Mexoryl)

c. cinoxate, ensulizole, octocrylene, Padimate O

9. Water-resistant sunscreen:

a. Has to be reapplied after 40 minutes in the water

b. Has to be reapplied after 90 minutes in the water

c. Does not need to be reapplied

10. When stored properly, sunscreen should last for how long after the manufacturing date stamped on the package?

a. 9 months

b. 1 year

c. 2 years

Hope you found this quiz fun and educational! Check your answers below.

1=a; 2=b; 3=b; 4=c; 5=c; 6=c; 7=b; 8=b; 9=a; 10=c

Sunblocks - What you need to know about Ingredients and Amounts

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Choice can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to sunblock. There are so many bottles, tubes, sticks, wipes and powders lining store shelves that it’s easy to be confused about what works best.

To help wade through the sea of options, it is most important to know that the Sun Protection Factor or SPF rating you currently see on labels relates only to protection against the sun’s UVB rays. UVB rays cause reddening and burning of the skin, which contributes to skin cancer. At this time, SPF ratings do not relate to UVA rays, which actually penetrate the skin more deeply, contributing to wrinkles, photodamage and skin cancer. New labeling rules may be finalized by the FDA in September, forcing companies to also rate their sunblock’s UVA protection (if any) on the label within 18 months.

In the meantime, Dermatologist David Pariser, MD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, recommends that “for now, consumers should look for labels that tout ‘broad spectrum’ protection and list ingredients known to screen UVA rays.” Specifically, consumers should “look for avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or ecamsule (also known as Mexoryl SX).”

In addition to using a broad spectrum product, it is also necessary to use the right amount. Studies show that most people apply only a quarter of the amount they should, which means the actual SPF they have on their body is even lower than advertised. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, you should use 1 oz. (shotglass sized amount) of sunblock to get the full SPF. During a long day at the beach, for example, one person should use around one half to one quarter of an 8 oz. bottle. Sunscreens should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow the ingredients to fully bind to the skin. And, no matter what the SPF rating, sunscreens should be applied every two hours, especially after swimming, toweling off or excessive sweating.

There is also no substitute for shade and keeping the sun off your skin. If you are out at the beach or park, choose shady areas whenever possible. Wear a hat, sunglasses and SPF rated clothing to give yourself the best protection possible. We only get one skin, so do your best to take care of it! If you have any other questions regarding sunblocks, give our office a call - we will be happy to assist you.

Tanning - Getting More Than You Bargained For

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Patients might accuse me and other dermatologists of sounding like broken records when it comes to the subject of tanning. We can’t help but be passionate about this particular issue. In my work, I am constantly faced with removing pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions from patients. These lesions, caused by UVA and UVB ray exposure, could potentially be life threatening and/or lead to surgery for removal. It is particularly disturbing that the age range of patients showing up with these issues is getting younger. So, you can understand a dermatologist’s perspective when they see women and men purposely trying to get a tan and needlessly exposing themselves to this risk.

There is no “safe” way to tan. Tanning beds are no exception! In fact, the rays in tanning beds can often be more intense than the sun itself. According to an AP article, melanoma (the deadliest type of skin caner) is now the top cancer afflicting women in their 20s in the UK, overtaking cervical cancer. They attribute this increase in young women (typically not the group where melanoma is so common) as a result of tanning bed use. In the United States, Florida lawmakers are considering a ban on tanning salon use for those under 16 years old. Miss Florida Teen, Kayla Collier, recently testified before a Florida state house committee supporting the proposal. She was diagnosed with a melanoma at age 16.

The possibility of skin cancer aside, tanning leads to accelerated aging of the skin. We know that exposure to UVA rays also cause more wrinkles, brown spots and breakdown of collagen. As the summer approaches and people seek dark, bronzed skin, consider alternatives like spray tans or lotions to keep your skin healthy. Avoid tanning and wear your sunblock!