February 2011

I am thrilled to tell you all that Abby (the other NP here) and I are attending the Maui Dermatology Conference this month. The thought of Hawaii’s beaches and warm weather are keeping me going as I scraped off the ice on my car this morning. As I was driving along Woodmont past at least 15 cars that were stopped on the sides of roads, perpendicular in the median and in other people’s front yards; I decided to think about sunscreen instead of the icy roads!

Now, I realize it seems quite ironic that a dermatology conference would be held somewhere tropical with intense UV light pulsing down on all these little pale, sun-fearing bodies. However, rest assured that we will be well protected! I thought it would be a good idea to discuss sunscreens this month as there is often some confusion about what in the world “SPF” really is…And we don’t want to end up looking like Ms. Barbie here!

SPF (Sun Protection Factor)

It can be overwhelming when you walk into the drug store and see 50 different sunscreens sitting on the shelf ranging from an SPF of 4 to 100+. Is SPF 30 twice as protective as SPF 15? The short answer is NO. The marketing for these products can be misleading. First of all, the SPF is based on protection from UVB rays. I’ll explain this in more detail in a minute. On average, this is the breakdown of sun protection factor:

SPF 15: Blocks 94% of UVB rays

SPF 30: Blocks 97% of UVB rays

SPF 45: Blocks 98% of UVB rays

Beyond that…well you get the picture. Basically, an SPF of 15 or 30 is adequate as long as it is applied correctly.

UVA vs. UVB

The old school thought is that UVB rays are more responsible for sunburns and skin cancer and UVA rays are responsible for tanning. The thought was that UVB rays were awful, but it was okay to get UVA rays. Well, now we know that UVA rays are just as dangerous as UVB rays, as they penetrate deeper into the dermis. UVA rays are also now linked with skin cancer, and responsible for the majority of pre-mature aging and photodamage.

Thus, it is really important to get a BROAD-SPECTRUM sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The problem is that the ingredient that protects against UVA rays (avobenzone) breaks down quickly unless it is stabilized. There are a few companies that have been able to adequately stabilize this ingredient. These recommended sunscreens are:

  • LaRoche Posay Anthelios with Meroxyl
  • Neutrogena with Helioplex

The other effective and recommended ingredients in sunscreen are barrier-type including zinc oxide and titanium. The problem becomes tolerability here. Some of these products can be thick and leave a pasty, white residue. However, some companies have managed to overcome this and produce a well-tolerated, cosmetically-pleasing product. Recommendations include:

  • Obagi sunscreens
  • Skin Ceutical sunscreens
  • Cetaphil SPF 50

Pictures and hopefully some new, great information to be shared from our conference when Abby and I get back!  Until then, let’s dream of this…