We’ve talked about the importance of wearing sunscreen before, but Dr. Monique S. Cohn, DO FAOCD at Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Center recommends that you should actually be wearing sunscreen throughout the year, even in the winter! Snow and ice can reflect up to 90% of UV rays. These harmful rays can not only cause skin cancer, but are also the source of about 90 percent of all wrinkles.
UVA light is the primary type of UV radiation that reaches our skin, traveling even through window glass. UVB rays go even deeper into the skin. This type of sunlight can lead to long-term skin damage, aging it beyond its years. UVB rays are not as far-reaching as UVA light, but are more powerful, causing sunburn and contributing to the development of skin cancer.
Wearing sunscreen temporarily protects your skin from these rays, and can help prevent you from getting burnt and developing wrinkles, age spots, and even cancer.
Bundling up during the winter, will help shield your skin, but it’s still important to protect your face, hands, and any other areas of your body that are exposed to harmful rays. Snow reflects sunlight, so those rays might be closer to you than you think. UVB rays might not make it past the clouds, but UVA rays still can.
It is important to choose the right SPF (sun protection factor), which describes how long the sunscreen will protect your skin from UVB radiation once applied. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, you want a product that boasts SPF 30 or higher. Make sure to also choose a sunscreen with broad-spectrum, meaning it guards against both UVA and UVB rays.
As long as the sun’s rays reach our planet, you’ll want to protect your skin using the right kind of sunscreen, and not just on sunny days, but all year-round. Not only does wearing sunscreen protect you from getting skin cancer, but it also is a way to retain your skin’s youthful appearance and overall health.
At Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Center, we help patients understand the importance of sunscreen, and what products work best to protect skin all year-round. If you are due for your yearly full body skin exam or you notice something on your body that just doesn’t look right, contact us by calling 330-425-7600 or set up an appointment online by clicking here.
