Preventing Premature Aging
Although skin cancer is something many in the L.U.V. community have had a personal experience with, today we’re discussing another repercussion of harmful UV exposure, premature aging. Harmful UV rays damage the elastin and collagen fibers in your skin causing everything from freckles to wrinkles and sunspots.
There are dozens of reasons to be wary of the sun. However, the scary reality is that even when we take the proactive measures of not going to tanning beds or sitting out in the sun, there are still risks we don’t consider in everyday life.
Today, we are teaming up with Dr. Lauren Guren, Board Certified Dermatologist from Allied Dermatology and Skin Surgery in Ohio to discuss incidental sun exposure and age prevention.
What Is Incidental Sun Exposure?
Incidental sun exposure can take multiple different forms. Whether aware of it or not, we are susceptible to harmful UV rays year-round, even if we’re indoors.
“Incidental sun exposure is all of the sun people get when they don’t think of themselves being outside,” says Dr. Guren. “ The majority of people have incidental sun exposure occur while driving, going in and out of stores, and also people who work indoors, but actually have sun rays that shine through the window.”
Even if you don’t work in a sun-filled office environment, the majority of people experience incidental sun exposure while driving.
Dr. Guren continues, “you should be prepared whenever and wherever the warm glow of the sun hits your skin.”
Sun Exposure & Age Prevention
Failure to protect your skin from harmful UV damage can lead to premature aging, sunspots, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. Dr. Guren’s tips for avoiding premature aging include:
Avoiding the sun as much as possible from 10 am-4 pm
Applying daily sunscreen of SPF 30+
Applying sunscreen to trouble areas such as the neck, chest, back of the hand, and the face
Reapplying sunscreen every two hours
Using UPF 50+ clothing to protect large parts of the body
Products like our UPF 50+ Sun Wrap were specifically designed for an easy way to prevent incidental sun exposure. The wrap can easily be tied over your shoulders or draped across your legs while driving, at work, or while just enjoying a beautiful outdoor brunch with friends. For work, we highly recommend the Black Opal wrap. It was designed to offer UPF 50+ protection and effortlessly be incorporated into your everyday routine. Additionally, the wrap can be tied as a sarong or used as a beach coverup.
Dr. Guren’s Favorite Sun Protection Products
Dr. Guren states that her personal favorite products are tinted, zinc-containing moisturizers for the face, and spray sunscreen for the body. She also always recommends UPF 50+ clothing because it is much more reliable and sadly overlooked by many.
She adds, “my favorite products for patients are products they will use. For example, I would love for everyone to use sunscreen that contains physical blockers like zinc or titanium but for many, these can be too hard to apply. For these individuals, they would be better off with a chemical sunscreen since they will actually apply it.”
A Skin Cancer Myth Debunked by an Expert
“I find it most concerning when young adults believe only sun worshippers can develop skin cancer,” Dr. Guren says. “This is just NOT TRUE. Incidental sun exposure is a huge source of UV exposure for most patients. In addition, some skin cancers, including certain types of melanoma, can occur in areas that have never been exposed to UV radiation due to certain gene mutations.”
People need to be aware of this if they want to be ahead of the curve.