by Elizabeth Siegel | May 29, 2015 | 2.1 Acne Treatment
Does SPF 30 Really Protect You All Day?
There’s a lot of confusion about what SPF really means. So let’s just clear something up: It is not an indicator of how long you can stay out in the sun.
“Studies have shown that SPF’s efficacy stays steady for about an hour, and then begins to drop after an hour because UV rays break down many sunscreen ingredients,” says Jill Weinstein, a dermatologist and instructor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. It’s why you should reapply sunscreen every two hours or after you sweat or swim (whichever comes first).
Here’s what SPF really means: It’s the percentage of UVB rays—which are the sun’s burning rays—that the sunscreen blocks. It’s not indicative of the percentage of skin-aging UVA rays that the formula protects against, which is another reason to reapply often and choose a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection. To get really specific about what SPF means, the percent breakdown is this: SPF 15 protects against 93 percent of UVB rays; SPF 30 guards against 97 percent, and SPF 50 is about 98 percent. The difference sounds negligible, but not so much when you reverse it (because, duh, two percent of UVB rays get by SPF 50, while seven percent can get by SPF 15). And this next part is really key: Almost no one puts on enough SPF 30 (half a teaspoon for your face) to get the full SPF. “It’s impossible to get the SPF on the label without really caking it on,” says Darrell S. Rigel, a dermatologist in New York City. And since that’s not happening, go with SPF 50 or higher. We like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 55, because it’s light and sheer for such a high SPF. “Be careful not to miss frequently overlooked spots, like between the eyebrows and around the nostrils and eyes,” says Vivian Bucay, a dermatologist in San Antonio.
by Elizabeth Siegel | Nov 24, 2014 | 2.6 Freckles and Spots, Wrinkles Treatment
Are Your Sunglasses Giving You Wrinkles?
If dermatologists ran the world (or Bloomingdale’s), you’d only be able to buy wraparound sunglasses. But they don’t. And it’s not the ’80s. Thank God. But some shades can make your skin more vulnerable to sun damage—and others (OK, not wraparounds) offer extra protection.
Don’t bring your aviators to the beach. I know, I know, it’s sad. But the metal frames on most aviators “reflect sunlight on the tops of the cheeks, causing them to burn,” says Vivian Bucay, a dermatologist in San Antonio. And women who wear them often get sun spots on their cheeks as a result, she says. Pick sunglasses with plastic frames instead.
Go for sunglasses with mirrored lenses. “They block more UV rays than regular tinted lenses,” says Bucay. That’s key, since the thin skin around your eyes is so prone to sun damage and wrinkles. There are lots of good options, including ones from Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Céline, which makes the sunglasses the model in this picture is wearing.
by Elizabeth Siegel | Dec 12, 2013 | 1.1 Resources & Tips, 2.1 Acne Treatment
Acne drug users need to know birth control options
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women using a popular acne drug that causes birth defects need better information about how to keep from getting pregnant, a small study suggests.
Isotretinoin – first marketed as Accuttane – is one of the most effective treatments for acne. But isotretinoin is known to lead to severe birth defects. A program known as iPledge is aimed at preventing pregnancies among the drug’s users.
The iPledge program hasn’t been very successful, however, and the new study suggests it should focus on highly effective birth control methods.
“What we found is that people need a clear message about what birth control would be most effective, and currently the iPledge materials don’t make it clear to most women who enroll in the program,” Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz said.
See more information about this issue @ https://bit.ly/1fn97o1 and https://bit.ly/1fn9dMq JAMA Dermatology, online November 20, 2013.
