Everything You Need to Know About Sunscreens and Sunburns

Some people see the first sunburn of the summer as a rite of passage, with reddened skin signaling that we’ve reached the warmest part of the year. But it also signals skin damage.

The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) rays, and those take a toll on your skin. This summer, we want to highlight ways to avoid the skin damage and heightened risk of skin cancer that come with sunburns. 

No matter your age, we encourage you to practice sun safety this summer. Joseph R. Raccuglia, MD, and our team want to help everyone enjoy this time of year safely, from our pediatric patients to our geriatric ones.

If you want help developing a plan to avoid skin damage this summer, see us at our office in Freehold, New Jersey.

The risk of sunburns

UV light is a form of radiation. It can impact your skin’s DNA — and not in a good way. 

UV radiation changes the skin’s DNA, causing mutations. Those can make you more susceptible to premature aging (think wrinkles and sun spots) and skin cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that your risk of melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, doubles with five or more sunburns. 

To make this even more problematic, the DNA damage from a sunburn can’t be undone. The more sunburns you get, and the worse they are, the greater your risk of skin cancer and premature aging. 

Tips to find the right sunscreen and use it well

To avoid sunburns, be strategic about when you expose yourself and your family to sunlight. Consider bringing an umbrella to the park or pool, or wear lightweight, long layers when you’re heading out for a hike. 

When your skin is in the sun, sunscreen is key. Here are a few tips from Dr. Raccuglia and our team:

• Choose sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more
• Reapply sunscreen every couple of hours
• Choose the right sunscreen for your activity (e.g., waterproof for pool days)
• Seek shade midday when the sun is strongest
• Wear a hat with a wide brim
• Apply sunscreen even when it’s overcast (clouds don’t block all UV)
• Be extra diligent with your teens (high schoolers are twice as likely to get burned)
• Wear sunscreen in the middle of the day, when UV light is strongest

If you or your child’s skin is sensitive, sunscreen might feel tricky. Usually, changing the type can help. Instead of chemical sunscreens, which soak into the skin, opt for mineral ones containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide which stay on the skin’s surface, blocking UV rays there. The minimal absorption profile offered by mineral sunscreens make them great options for people with sensitive skin conditions.  Even better, they are immediately effective upon application and more elegant modern formulations offer colorized options which can blend with natural skin tones and leave less residue than that white goop that you might remember from summer camp so many years ago. 

These are general tips. If you want help finding the right sunscreen for your family or developing an overall summer health plan, call our office or request an appointment online today.