Sunscreen and SPF
Sun damage can happen in any season, but it affects the majority of people during the summer months when we are all outside enjoying the weather. The reason it’s so easy to have sunburn sneak up on you is that you can’t feel the damage coming on as it happens. Differently from a hot object burn, the sun damages your skin cells with UV radiation, which does not feel hot.
The sad reality is that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer brought on by UV radiation from the sun, and prolonged exposure can lead to cataracts, which effect over 20 million Americans over the age of 40. Sun damage also leads to excessive wrinkles, dry spots, and age spots that will stay with us forever.
So how do we avoid this? How do we enjoy time at the beach or simply in the backyard with our kids without sun damage sneaking up on us? The best answer is just to be prepared. For starters, always have a broad-spectrum sunscreen. The sun produces two types of UV rays: UVA, which cause premature signs of aging like the dark spots and wrinkles, and UVB, which does the actual burning of the skin. A broad-spectrum sunscreen will protect against these both. Next, be sure to use a sunscreen with an appropriate SPF. The SPF rating measures how well the sunscreen protects from the sun’s UVB rays in comparison to wearing none at all.
Once you’ve lathered on a good amount, better to use too much than not enough, be sure to reapply. THIS IS KEY! Reapplying the sunscreen is a step that most forget to take, and yet it might be the most crucial. Just like your skin, sunscreen has a duration; once it’s exposed to the sun, be sure to continually add more layers as the day goes on if you plan to be outside. Lastly, if at all possible on days of extreme heat, avoiding the sun all together can be the safest route possible.
Dr. Raymond Lee is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon with expertise in facial rejuvenation under local anesthesia. He has been practicing in Orange County for the past 10 years and has performed nearly 4000 facial rejuvenation procedures under light anesthesia.
In his prior practice, his patient satisfaction scores ranked him #1 in the nation. Dr. Lee wants you to “Experience Beauty, the most natural way”. Dr. Lee’s does not believe in the old traditional facelift. Over the course of his career he has mastered the art and science of facial rejuvenation with natural results, minimal sedation, and easy recovery. His signature “FACEology LIFT” (face & neck lift alternative) is the embodiment of all these elements and is what he is widely sought out for.
