Our expert dermatologist, Dr Julia Brockley, is here at Enigma Healthcare take the time to share her top sun safety tips ready for this summer.
Sun safety is really important because it reduces signs of ageing and chances of developing skin cancer, here are some top tips on how to ensure safety when exposed to the sun.
The number one tip is to make sure that you stay out of the sun when it’s really hot, and the UV index is high usually, in the summer that’s between 12 o’clock and two o’clock, is when you want to make sure to seek the shade. You can check the UV index on your phone on your weather app, this is an easy precaution we can all use to stay sun-safe with just one simple click of a button.
Another tip is the use of physical protection, the use of sun cream solely is not enough. It is recommended to take extra precautions such as a sun hat, sunglasses to protect your eyes, and some clothing to protect your shoulders, neck area and back.
As physical protection is an add-on to sun cream, it is advised to factor 30 at least as this factor should also have a good UVA index. You can see the UVA index on the back of your suncream illustrated by the number of stars.
One of the myths that needs to be busted is that it makes absolutely no difference if you have an expensive suncream on, or a very, very cheap one this is because in the UK, this is a closely monitored market and they all have a certain safety standard when they come onto the market.
Our experts said it’s a good idea to use dedicated sun cream as it’s one of the main issues that they come across in the clinic patients think they have been looking after their skin when exposed to the sun, but actually, they have been using a moisturiser, or makeup that has some SPF in and they think that it’s sufficient protection. A study found that the SPF shown is about a third of what is being advertised.
As sun exposure is a larger factor in the development of skin cancer, here are some ways in which to identify early cases.
- New lumps and bumps
- Wounds that don’t heal up over four weeks
- Moles that look different to others
- Moles that change
If any of these apply to you, our expert dermatologist can get you booked in at her clinic and check out any concerns that may phase you.