HOT TOPIC

Area Doctors Help Us Clear Up Common Summer Skin Care Myths

- TERESA SCHIFFER

Summer is officially here and it’s time to catch some rays! Here in Central Florida, we don’t really need to do much in order to get our daily dose of vitamin D from the sun, but many folks still enjoy heading out to the beach or hanging poolside to lounge and soak up some summer sun. Despite the pleasure of just taking it easy and working on that golden tan, it’s important to remember that sun damage can be a major health risk, so be smart and protect yourself. Some local physicians have offered to clarify some of the myths that commonly make the rounds at this time of year regarding protection against the harmful effects of sun exposure

Myth 1: The higher the SPF, the better the protection.

It’s pretty well known by this point that we should all be wearing sunscreen on any exposed skin on a regular basis year-round, especially in Florida. Doctors generally recommend a minimum SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15, though many would increase that to an SPF 30. The SPF indicates how much longer a person can tolerate the sun before becoming burned. For example, if you typically burn after 30 minutes, an SPF 15 would protect you for 15 times 30 minutes, or 450 minutes (7.5 hours). Of course, you would need to reapply for protection several times within that time frame, but that’s basically how it works. So does that mean that the higher the SPF, the more you are protected?