Is the Tan Worth It? The Truth Behind Sun Damage

In honor of Skin Cancer Awareness Month and Melanoma Awareness Month, Dr. Mona Foad, founder and board-certified dermatologist at Mona Dermatology, shares why preventing sun damage should be a top priority for you and your family. See the full article featured in Cincinnati Magazine.

How UV Damage Affects Our Skin

UV damage from the sun affects our skin in many different ways. There are three types of UV Rays: UVC, UVB and UVA. UVC is typically filtered out by the ozone, so we primarily focus on protecting our skin from UVA and UVB rays. UVA go deeper into the skin and can cause more aging and skin cancer risk due to the deeper damage they can cause. Specifically, these rays can contribute to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in our skin.

These key proteins decrease naturally as we age, but sun exposure can accelerate their breakdown. This leads to signs of aging such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and sagging. In addition, they cause free radical damage, which increases our risk of developing skin cancers. UVB, or burning rays, are responsible for your sunburn and causing your skin to develop a tan. Over time, multiple sunburns and tans lead to the formation of brown spots and precancerous lesions. If you think about it, a tan is simply your skin’s way of protecting itself from further damage from the sun’s rays and is not actually a good thing.

Preventing Sun Damage

The best way to protect against sun damage is by wearing sunscreen. Using a broad spectrum sunscreen can protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. This protection can decrease your risk of developing a sunburn in the short term, and also reduce the risk for premature aging and skin cancers in the long term. I always look for a sunscreen with zinc oxide, because this physical sunblock is a great way to protect against UVA and UVB rays. Zinc oxide is also good for people with sensitive skin who are concerned about having a reaction to sunscreen. Finally, always look for a reef safe sunscreen, and avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone.

If you want to boost your protection against environmental damage, antioxidants are also worth considering. These topical skincare products protect against free radical damage in the environment which can harm cells, causing premature aging. Good antioxidants can also help protect your skin against pollution, which also can cause free radical damange. Other options for added protection include wearing a broad-brimmed hat or UPF clothing. If you can, try avoiding the sun at peak hours, from 10 am to 2 pm.

Treating Sun Damage

First and foremost, getting an annual complete skin exam from a dermatologist is the easiest and best way to prevent skin cancers from developing. When caught early, the cure-rate for skin cancers is 99%! In this 15-minute visit, your dermatologist will look at your skin from head to toe. They will ensure you do not have any suspicious looking spots that may need to be treated. If you have visible sun damage (like brown spots) or a history of skin cancers and pre-cancers, there are several options to treat your existing damage.

Our office offers several laser and light treatments that use focused laser or light energy to target specific layers of your skin and treat the sun damage there. This can be beneficial both for the cosmetic appearance of sun damage and also preventing the formation of more serious skin cancers. Chemical peels are also a great choice for addressing existing sun damage. During a chemical peel, a provider applies a speciallyformulated solution that gently exfoliates the top layer of skin. This helps encourage the turnover of new, healthy skin cells in the treated area. Lastly, photodynamic therapy, or PDT, is another in-office option for treating sun damage. Many patients with Actinic Keratoses (also known as pre-cancers) find this in-office procedure preferable to at-home topical creams. A few treatment sessions will typically reduce or clear a large area of pre-cancers.

Get Scheduled!

Mona Dermatology is your partner in healthy, beautiful skin! From finding the perfect sunscreen, to annual skin exams and cosmetic treatments, we offer everything you need for your skin. You can schedule a visit here or by calling 513.984.4800.