Sun: Friend or Foe?

Suntanned skin is really sun damaged skin cells. Skin color resulting from sun exposure actually accelerates the effects of aging and increases your risk for developing skin cancer. Sun exposure causes most of the skin changes considered a normal part of aging. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet light damages the fibers in the skin called elastin. When these fibers breakdown, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and lose the ability to go back into place after stretching. The skin also bruises and tears more easily, taking longer to heal. While sun damage to the skin may not be apparent at younger ages, it will definitely show later in life. Sun care and skin care products should help develop, protect and maintain healthy skin.

Did you Know?
• Any skin type—regardless of color—can sunburn, resulting in sun-damaged skin or sun-related cancer.
• You can get a sunburn on hazy or cloudy days. As much as 90% of UV rays pass through clouds. UV rays can also reflect off snow, ice, sand, water and other reflective surfaces, burning your skin as severely as direct sunlight.
• UV reflection from sand and water doubles the amount of ultraviolet exposure.
• Using a good sunscreen everyday can help prevent signs of premature aging and protect against sun related skin diseases.

Sunscreen: Apply It Liberally
Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day to help prevent skin cancer, wrinkling, hyper pigmentation and loss of elasticity. Apply one ounce of sunscreen to your entire body 30-60 minutes before going into the sun. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or perspiring heavily. Wear sunscreen even on cool and cloudy days because harmful UV rays are always present. Help children develop the sun-safe habit by making sunscreen use as important as wearing a seat belt.

UV and You
Ultraviolet or UV rays are part of the invisible energy that comes from the sun. UVA (aging) rays account for 95% of our sun exposure. They cause skin aging and contribute to skin cancer. UVA rays penetrate deeply into the skin layers, damaging collagen and cells which leads to wrinkling, hyper pigmentation and loss of elasticity. UVB (burning) rays mostly affect the outer layer of the skin. They cause sunburns and tanning that increase the risk of skin cancer and other disorders. The risk for skin cancer doubles in people who have had five or more sunburns.

Think Zinc for Serious UV Protection
Zinc is a natural mineral substance. Because zinc maintains its protective ability in the sun, it is more photo stable than many chemical ingredients that degrade. Zinc completely blocks the widest spectrum of UVA and UVB rays, protecting skin against burning and the premature appearance of aging. Zinc is safe for even the most sensitive skin types.

Elta MD
It is very important to choose the sunscreen that’s best for you. Many sunscreen products have multiple ingredients even up to six different chemicals, in order to cover all the different UV wavelengths that can cause problems. These chemicals can induce allergic reactions and can be very sensitizing especially in people with eczema or general skin sensitivity.

One product line found to have complete protection is Elta MD. This line of sunscreens is based on zinc oxide, the thick white paste now used as a diaper ointment. Elta MD uses a new technology that disperses the zinc oxide allowing it to dissolve becoming transparent while retaining its sun blocking activity.

All Elta MD products have full UVA and UVB protection with a minimal amount of adverse reactions. Elta MD has many sunscreens which are oil free, tinted, moisturizing, and waterproof. They also have specially formulated sunscreens for specific skin conditions such as acne or rosacea. Elta MD is only available in a doctor’s office.

IPL to Repair and Reverse Effects of Sun Damage
Once brown and red spots appear all is not lost. Intense Pulsed Light (not laser) can be utilized to improve appearance and reduce damage. Laser treatments can be effective for wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
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Dr. Edward J. Gindi MD, the owner of Laser Light MD, is a well known pediatrician, as well as an allergist in the community. He has been practicing for 25 years. Dr. Gindi brings his expertise, integrity, and knowledge of medicine to a new and exciting venue of cosmetic skin conditions. Elta MD products are available at his office.