Sun Safety: Importance of SPF and Skin Cancer Prevention

Sun Safety: Importance of SPF and Skin Cancer Prevention

MedicusUnion Team
MedicusUnion Team

February 13, 2024

3 min. read

In order to protect your skin from sun damage and skin cancer, sunscreen is a crucial component of a comprehensive sun protection strategy. This article introduces the essentials of using SPF and preventing skin cancer, and highlighting the importance of professional skincare procedures, medical dermatology. Sunscreen: It’s not just for summer. Winter sun can damage your skin too.

What is Sun Protection?

Understanding the fundamentals of SPF usage is necessary for an accurate understanding of sun safety. Active components in sunscreen serve to protect your skin from UV rays from the sun. The two forms of sunscreen includes two substances, either physical (inorganic) or chemical (organic), that function to block ultraviolet radiation(light with wavelengths less than visible light). Before the rays reach your skin, physical (mineral) sunscreen ingredients—such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—block and scatter them like a shield.UV rays are absorbed by chemical sunscreen ingredients like octisalate and avobenzone like a sponge, preventing skin damage.

A diagram showing the different types of ultraviolet light (UVA, UVB, and UVC) and how they affect the skin. This information could be helpful for people who are concerned about sun damage and skin cancer, and are considering seeking urgent care dermatology.

Correlations of SPF and skin cancer

Exploring the connection between using SPF and lowering the risk of skin cancer is one of the most important parts of this article. Sunscreens protect against cell damage consistent with carcinogenesis, according to experimental studies from the 1980s and 1990s. Participants in a 4.5-year study who used sunscreen every day had a significantly lower risk of invasive melanoma.Additionally, you should give into consideration 

  • Your personal risk factors for skin cancer: Your family history and skin type are vital about how much protection you need.
  • Photosensitivity: Regardless of skin type, some medical drug components and medical conditions increase the effect on your skin to sunlight.
  • Skin conditions: There are sunscreens for oily, dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin types.Comedogenicity, irritant contact dermatitis, and subjective irritation (such as stinging and burning) without a rash are the most frequently reported side effects of wrong complex of sunscreen usage.  In rare cases, chemical sunscreen ingredients may also result in allergic contact dermatitis and photoallergic contact dermatitis. Before selecting your sunscreen, we advise speaking with a qualified doctor.

Dermatologist consultations and advices

In revealing the keys to practical sun protection, you should emphasize the value of professional consultations in medical dermatology. High-quality research has demonstrated that using sunscreen lowers the chance of getting nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancer. As a result, doctors advise patients on photoprotection techniques, such as avoiding the sun at noon, finding shade, dressing in protective gear, and applying sunscreen in the event that sun exposure is unavoidable. Consultations plan the proper SPF type usage preventing skin problems by taking into account each person's skin type, concerns, and medical history. 

Conclusion

It is recommended you make sun safety a top priority, applying SPF to your daily regimens and consulting doctors for customized skincare regimens and addition of SPF. Take the time to learn about  your own skin health with research and consultations with healthcare professionals and be rewarded with healthy, radiant skin.

Get the MedicusUnion App!

  • Certified European doctors
  • Video consultation with a specialist
  • Live-interpreter during consultations