Page 6 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_May-2020

Feature

Love the Skin You’re In —
Protect, Shade, Block

IBy Marc R. Carruth, MD UPF of 30-49 is very good and anything with a UPF of 50+ is
t’s springtime, and many of us happily are spending more rated as excellent.
time outdoors. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and
as such, we all can use some reminders of the best ways to As part of your coverup routine, don’t forget to slip on a pair of
protect ourselves from the sun’s damaging rays. It’s not as sunglasses and wear a hat. Sunglasses with 100-percent UV protection
simple as putting on some sunscreen now and then when you are best. Wide-brimmed hats with neck flaps provide the most
remember to apply. The best protection against a future skin protection, but if that embarrasses you, a ball cap is better than nothing.
cancer and photoaging is a multifaceted approach that includes Men, even if you are lucky enough to still have a good head of hair, the
seeking shade, wearing sun protective clothing, using sunscreen sun can damage your scalp, especially the crown.
and considering specific oral supplements. Let’s take a look at
each of these categories. 3. Use sunscreen on areas that remain exposed

4 Ways to Protect Against Harmful UV Rays For those areas of the body that remain exposed after covering with
clothing, sunscreen is the best option for protection. Many patients
1. Seek shade whenever possible ask me what the best brand of sunscreen is and my routine answer has
always been, “the one you will use.” Most people either don’t bother
When possible, avoid outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and at least with sunscreen or apply too little. Applying a shot glass full every
2 p.m. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, two hours when you are outside is a good rule of thumb. Beware,
ultraviolet (UV) radiation is at its strongest at midday so avoiding there is no such thing as a “waterproof” sunscreen. The FDA has
exposure at these hours is one of the easiest and best things you can do changed the language that companies may use; they can only claim
to minimize solar damage to your skin. When outdoors, look for areas to be “water resistant.” It is important to reapply the sunscreen after
of cover from the sun, if convenient. you have been in the water or sweating. The SPF also is important to
consider. Similar to UPF, SPF is the ratio of the time it takes to start to
2. Wear sun protective clothing covering as much of your skin as possible burn while wearing sunscreen divided by the time it takes your skin
to burn without any protection. Typically, a product with an SPF of at
Not all clothing is created equal in this regard. Dark colors least 30 is desirable. Higher SPF’s may be helpful only because people
don’t tend to apply enough product. The SPF number only applies to
are better than light-colored fabrics and a dense weave provides protection against UVB rays. Therefore, you should choose a product
that says “broad spectrum” on the label, as this signifies it has some
better protection. You can perform a quick check to determine a protection against UVA as well as UVB rays.

garment’s sun protection by holding it up to the light. If you can 4. Consider supplements

see light through the fabric, it won’t provide much of a block to the Oral vitamin B3 supplementation, in the nicotinamide form,
appears to be somewhat protective for patients with a history of
UV rays. Of course, clothing is only going to work if you actually keratinocyte carcinomas (basal cell carcinoma and squamous
cell carcinoma) and extensive photodamage. A nice review
wear the garment, and luckily, many companies have created of this vitamin’s photoprotective mechanisms and effects has
been provided by Snaidr and colleagues.1 A 2015 randomized
attractive and comfortable sun protective clothing. My wife likes placebo-controlled study performed in Australia demonstrated a
23-percent reduction in keratinocyte carcinomas for individuals
the brand Coolibar, as it is lightweight and they have both a swim taking 500 mg of nicotinamide twice a day versus controls.2 For
patients at increased risk for these cancers, consider this form
Spray vs Lotion? line and an athletic of vitamin B3 supplementation. One brand of this is Heliocare
performance line, but Advanced, which includes an antioxidant and nicotinamide,
but products with nicotinamide alone readily can be found in
While sprays are certainly convenient there are many domestic pharmacies and online outlets.
and can help you reach hard-to-get and Australian brands
places, I generally recommend with good options. You Lingering Questions
people use a lotion. The spray can should always check
be used for reapplication if you the clothing’s ability I am sure many readers have been asked the following questions, or
don’t have time for the lotion later. to protect your skin by wondered about them.
You must make sure to rub in the looking at the ultraviolet
spray or it won’t be as effective! protection factor (UPF).
UPF is specific to

clothing as opposed

to sun protection factor (SPF) for sunscreens. UPF is a measure

of how well the material will protect you. If you normally burn

in 10 minutes without any protection, then a UPF of 30 should

theoretically provide 30 times longer protection, or 300 minutes.

6 | May 2020 • Mecklenburg Medicine