SAN ANTONIO – Sunshine feels great and comes with benefits, like boosting vitamin D, but dermatologists warn that sun damage can accumulate over decades and lead to skin cancer.
As summer approaches, a University Health skin doctor is sharing what people should know about protecting their skin.
Carlo Guadagno, 70, knows the risks firsthand. He has been diagnosed with skin cancer four times over the last several years. He said that his previous diagnosis is a consequence of years spent in the sun without protection.
“You can put sunscreen on today and protect yourself. But it’s cumulative — all your life,“ Guadagno said, in part. ”And when I was young, I would go to the beach without sunscreen every day."
For those with fair skin like Guadagno, even what feels like a tan can actually be something more serious.
“After a while, your skin tolerates the sun and you tan, and for someone light-skinned like me, it’s not that I’m really tanning, I’m damaging my skin,” he said.
Picking the right sunscreen doesn’t have to be complicated, according to Dr. Jimena Cervantes of University Health. She says any sunscreen with SPF will do the job — as long as it’s applied and reapplied consistently.
“I would recommend a minimum of 50, because really, when you apply it onto the skin, you’re really getting maybe like an SPF of 30, but the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimum of SPF 30 to be applied onto the skin,” Cervantes said.
For those with sensitive skin, Cervantes recommends a mineral-based sunscreen. Shoppers should look for zinc oxide in the ingredient list. She also recommends mineral-based formulas for children 6 months and older.
Cervantes emphasizes that sun protection should be a daily habit, not just a summer one.
“The sun doesn’t take a day off. UV damage is happening all the time when the sun’s out — and even when it’s hiding behind a cloud,“ Cervantes said. ”So every day you really should take precautions of wearing a wide-brimmed hat, an umbrella, and big old sunglasses. I tell my patients that they should be out there looking like divas."