Memorial Day weekend is now behind us and we look forward to summer, a season full of outdoor activities but also a season with greater sun exposure. Morristown Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Brian S. Glatt, MD, FACS shares advice to help protect your skin in the months ahead.
- The most dangerous time for UV exposure in the continental United States is between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Limit your outdoor activities during this time.
- Protect your skin on a daily basis, regardless of the weather, by applying sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For outdoor activities choose a product with an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Use a sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum” one that equally protects against UVB rays, the main cause of skin cancer, and UVA rays, which promote aging.
- Apply sunscreen at least 20 to 30 minutes before exposure to the sun.
- Use enough sunscreen, at least one ounce (a shot glass full) for each application to your body, then an additional teaspoon for your face.
- Don’t forget your ears, neck, hands, feet, scalp and the part in your hair!
- The product label of “water resistant” sunscreen must note the limit before the sunscreen becomes ineffective (40 or 80 minutes). Remember to reapply all sunscreen sooner than the listed limit if you have been in the water or have been sweating.
- Toss your old sunscreen! If the product does not have an expiration date, discard it after one year.
- It is imperative that skin be protected from the sun after any surgical procedure, especially after a facelift, blepharoplasty, otoplasty or rhinoplasty. Follow your doctor’s advice to minimize post-surgery sun damage.
- Sunscreen alone will not protect you from the damaging effects of overexposure to the sun. Dress in long sleeved shirts or beach cover-ups and a broad brimmed hat. Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses.