How to prevent skin cancer – and wrinkles!
Summer weather is just around the corner and we just can’t wait to get out and enjoy it. All of the fun summer offers (e.g., hiking, picnics, days by the pool) are among the best things that life has to offer. Like a lot of things in this beautiful life, too much of a good thing can end up being very bad. Too much sun can cause premature wrinkles and worst than that, skin cancer. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and we are here to share the best ways that you can have safe summer fun, reduce wrinkles, and prevent skin cancer too.
Prevention First! How to Pick a Sunscreen
Besides big floppy hats or forgoing outdoor activities all together, sunscreen is the best defense against sun-caused skin damage. Not all sunscreens are created equal, and it’s best to read those labels carefully. Here are the things that skincancer.org says to look for on the labels…
- Broad spectrum – Broad spectrum refers to products that protect from Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, both of which can cause wrinkles, damage and cancer
- Sun Protection Factor (SPF) – SPF refers to the length of time that the product will protect you – if it is 30+ SPF that means you are protected 30 x’s longer than if you didn’t have anything on at all. You can measure it’s length of time by estimating how long it takes your skin to redden in the sun and multiply by the SPF rating. (If you redden in 20 minutes, 20 minutes x’s 30 gives you a protection window of about 10 hours). Keep in mind, this is an estimate! Reapply often.
- Water Resistant – The terms “water-resistant” and “sweat-resistant” indicate whether the sunscreen remains effective for 40 minutes or 80 minutes when you are swimming or sweating. Since no sunscreen is fully “waterproof” or “sweatproof,” the FDA prohibits these terms.
- Active Ingredients – There are two main types of active sunscreen ingredients: chemical and physical. Chemical ingredients such as avobenzone and benzophenone, work by reducing UV penetration into the skin, whereas physical ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide stay on top of the skin and deflect UV rays. Many sunscreens available today combine chemical and physical ingredients.
We at Dr. Joseph Jensen’s office are proud to provide what we think is one of the very best sunscreen products, Alastin® Skin Care’s Broad Spectrum SPF 30+ Sunscreen. It’s an 80 minute waterproof luxurious cream that includes hydrators and phytonutrients that your skin will love! It is fragrant and paraben free and uses both physical and chemical ingredients to protect you and your beautiful skin. Click here to find out more!
What if the damage is already done?
We all have a past. Some of that past is filled with sun abuses like laying out to get that “base tan,” attending that sweet summer festival while being too cool for sun protection, or tanning until we were dark and leathery. Ah, the foils of youth, leaving deep and premature wrinkles in their wake. Don’t worry, we won’t hold it against you! We are here to help. In fact, we offer many ways to reduce the sun damaged mistakes of the past, specifically, INJECTABLES.
We offer several types of injectable wrinkle treatments. BOTOX® and Dysport® are injected into the related area with tiny needles. They relax the muscles under wrinkles, usually around the eye and forehead. This is a virtually painless and highly effective wrinkle reducer. Next, fillers like Juvéderm, Restylane, Vobella and Voluma can add lift and fullness to the areas of your face that may have started to sag. The right combination of injectables can give you spectacular results, reducing and removing wrinkles and forgiving the dunabuses of the past.
This month, just for you, our special is the perfect combination for repairing, reducing, removing and preventing sun damage to your skin. Click here to learn more about the Wrinkle Reducing Wonders special for May!