Sun’s Out, Suncreen Out

There is an expression, “Sun’s out, gun’s out;” here “guns” refers to biceps, not the epidemic of violence in our country. In other words, when the weather is warm, it is time to expose all those muscles that we have been working on during the colder months of the year.

Perhaps the expression should be changed to “Sun’s out, suncreen out.” This is true at every age. When I was younger, there was not much awareness around the dangers of sunburns and the importance of wearing protective lotions/clothing to prevent them. As person with light skin, I was especially prone to damaging burns and I am paying for it now. Over the last 20+ years I have had more than five skin cancers; thankfully, all of them have been basal cell carcinomas which are removed (sometimes easily, and sometimes with more difficulty) and do not require further treatment.

Older adults, however, should be extra cautious for a number of reasons. First, many older adults are retired and that means (depending on the climate) they spend less time inside and more time playing golf, gardening, sitting by the pool, or engaging in other outdoor activities. Second, many retire to places where not only is more time spent outside, but due to the latitude the rays of the sun are more direct and intense. Third, as we age our skin becomes thinner and more vulnerable, meaning that burns can have more serious consequences. Finally, older adults are usually not in the habit of applying sunscreen–even if they are going to be at the beach–so this requires an extra step in our regular routines. We must remember that the more exposure to sun, the more likely that burns will occur, and the greater the chances of developing skin cancers–some of which can have very serious consequences.

When should sunscreen be used, and what kind is best for older adults? Some say that it is okay to skip the lotion if you are going to be out less than an hour; this is not good advice since it is often difficult to control how long one will actually be outside. Any time you will be exposed to direct sunlight for more than 5-10 minutes it is a good idea to apply to exposed areas; certainly more than 20 minutes makes it a obligatory. Also, remember that it is necessary to re-apply sunscreen; check the usage directions on the product for more details. Experts recommend at least a 30 SPF for older adults, but depending on the kind of skin you have it may make sense to go with a higher number. I never use anything less than 50 because of the sensitivity of my skin and my past history of basal cell carcinomas. When in doubt, this is a great conversation to have with a dermatologist; if you do not have an appointment coming up soon, you can usually send an email message to your doctor through the practice’s website or through apps like MyChart.

I wish that I knew when I was a kid what I know now. It would have avoided a lot of scares and procedures. I have two children with fair skin and I am grateful that there is much more awareness and better products to prevent sunburn.

It is officially summer! So, sure, go ahead and flash those biceps, quads, pecs, or abs…but make sure they have a layer of sun protection on top first!