HEALTH

MYTH #1 Only the light-haired, fair-skinned people of the world need to worry about sun damage.
No one is safe from the sun’s damaging rays. No one! People with darker skin have a lower risk of skin cancer, but that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. Truth is, skin cancer has been diagnosed in people of all races and descent.

MYTH #2 Once you get a decent base, you’re safe. Sunburns are bad, but tanning is perfectly fine.
Sunburns are incredibly damaging, but getting a tan of any kind is the skin’s response to an injury, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Lots of girls fake-bake in tanning beds before they hit the beach, thinking it will be safer. Not so, according to Dr. Kenneth Beer, a West Palm Beach, Fla., surgical dermatologist and author of Palm Beach Perfect Skin. “Avoid tanning booths like the plague,” Dr. Beer warns.

MYTH #3 You don’t need sunscreen if you’ll be outside less than a half hour.
Not so fast! Even if you’re just running across the street to say hey to the neighborhood hottie, you’re getting zapped by powerful rays. And the effects of sun exposure are cumulative—that means they add up. The sun is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so avoid direct sunlight at those times.

MYTH #4 I don’t need major SPF all the time, just at the beach.
Make sunscreen part of your daily get-ready routine. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. We can’t say it enough. You need it to fight your two new enemies: UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are the sun’s burning rays, and UVAs are the ones that penetrate deep into the skin and give you wrinkles. Both play key roles in the development of skin cancer.

The AAD recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. But Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., dermatologist Dr. Barry I. Galitzer suggests an SPF of 30 or more. “I tell my patients to use a higher SPF as most people don’t put on the correct amount to receive the full benefit of the number on the bottle.” Still, numbers matter. So SPF 4? Probably better than nothing, but aim higher.

MYTH #5 If you’re wearing waterproof sunscreen, you don’t have to reapply after swimming.
No sunscreen sticks to you like glue. Who’d want it to? Lotions rub, rinse and wear off. Ideally, apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going out—most take this long to activate, and it gives your skin time to absorb it. But even if its label claims it’s “all-day,” reapply.

Says Dr. Galitzer, “No sunscreen is waterproof or sweatproof—only water- or sweat-resistant. There is a big difference.” So put on plenty every two to three hours, and every time you come outta the water or get all sweaty.

MYTH #6 If the sun isn’t shining, you can’t get burned.
Not to rain on your parade, but even a dreary day can bring on unhealthful rays. “UV radiation can penetrate through clouds,” says Dr. Galitzer. “You can get your worst burn on a cloudy day because you do not feel the heat from the sun.” Yikes! You stay out too long because you feel cool as a cucumber …and wind up red as a beet.

MYTH #7 Skin cancer and sun damage are old-people problems.
Though skin cancer, wrinkles and sun spots are more common in the geriatric set, no age group is safe. There has been an increase in th incidence of skin cancer in young people, even teens!

The National Cancer Institute indicates melanoma is the second most common cancer in women ages 20 to 29. And 90 percent of visible skin changes attributed to aging are caused by the sun, according to AAD stats. And these changes can be seen as early as your 20s! How you treat your skin now matters. Premature wrinkles and skin cancer? Uh, no thanks.

MYTH #8 As long as you wear a cover-up and a hat, you’re good to go.
It’s a start. But according to Dr. Beer, it’s definitely not enough. “You are safe if the clothing provides an SPF of 30 or higher and you’re wearing enough of it to protect yourself.” Huh? Typically, a white cotton tee only has an SPF of 7 or so. That means you can burn, even underneath your clothes!

Here are some guidelines from the Skin Cancer Foundation for picking out sun-safe clothes: Hold the fabric up to the light. If you can see through it, UV rays can penetrate. Darker fabric is better than light-colored fabric; the thicker the cloth is, the more protection it offers; and if the fabric stretches or gets wet, it loses much of its ability to protect you. For more guidelines, or to find out about products recommended by the SCF go to skincancer.org.

MYTH #9 You have to toss sunscreen out after a year.
This is a tricky one, but here are the facts: Sunscreens have a shelf life. That’s why they come with expiration dates. The FDA requires sunscreens to be stable for at least three years, so check the date before you buy.

Check the date, too, if you’ve pulled a bottle from way back in the closet with last year’s beach gear. If it’s expired, toss it. Don’t risk using a sunscreen that may have decreased—or even zero—effectiveness. Besides, do you know the way to truly smart sun-goddess status? Use so much of the stuff that expiration dates aren’t an issue. Put on lots! From head to toe, use a full ounce. That’s about the size of a very small plum—to keep you from turning into a prune.

MYTH #10 If your foundation has SPF in it, you’re covered.
Sure, it would be great to take care of your beauty regimen and sun protection in one easy swipe. Unfortunately, makeup with SPF usually doesn’t do as good a job as it should. “Some work better than others,” explains Dr. Beer.

“The problem is that most people see that a product has ‘sun protection’ and think they’re safe. For the majority of people and products, using a 15 SPF daily-wear product is not sufficient. These products really do the people who use them a disservice.” That’s not to say you shouldn’t use them at all. But SPF cosmetics are for added protection, not as your only protection. Always be sure to start with a product that is meant specifically to act as a sun shield.

By Mandy Forr

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7/13/2009 11:00:00 AM