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Suncare

Advances in Suncare

Summary & Participants

In the past, a tan was considered a sign of health. But today we know more about the harmful effects of sun exposure, from wrinkling to skin cancer and with this new understanding have come developments in the way we protect our skin. Join our panel of experts for a discussion of the latest in suncare.

Medically Reviewed On: July 23, 2008

Webcast Transcript

BETTY BELLMAN, MD: The new sunscreens have UVA protection, so you'll see on the label, it will say "UVA and UVB protection, broad spectrum." That means the UVA, which cause wrinkling and brown splotches and leathery, wrinkly skin, you're protecting yourself from that and UVB, which is more associated with causing skin cancer. UVA and UVB protection should be on that label when you're buying a sunscreen.

BARRY RESNIK, MD: I think it's important for everybody to realize that when they go to a tanning booth or a tanning salon and they spend an hour in one of those beds, you're getting a huge dose of ultraviolet A radiation. And as Betty said, it gives us more sun damage and the possibility of skin cancer than most everything else we do.

And even using a sunscreen under those circumstances is not acceptable. The American Academy of Dermatology has placed a ban on it. We urge our patients not to do it, but you'd be surprised how many people do it so that they can look good.

SUSAN CINGARI: That's true. Tanning is not in anymore, it's not good for your skin.

BETTY BELLMAN, MD: Although there are products that have self-tanning lotions or tanning bronzing lotions that make you look tanned and make you look healthy, with sunscreen or without, that are very safe to use, that make you look very attractive, that you can buy.

SUSAN CINGARI: That's one of the new advances in suncare. But what are some of the other ones? It's so confusing, there's foams and sprays, talk to me about that.

BARRY RESNIK, MD: What's new is the vehicle in which to deliver the sunscreen. The sunscreen is actually a little powder and you pour it into whatever it is you're going to use to hold onto the skin. We've got scented lotions, we've got scented sprays, we've got aerosol forms, and we've got pads. I think a pad is a very good opportunity for especially men who have very oily skin and they don't want to put a lotion on to begin with, much less something that's going to make them even more oily. So you've got a pad, it's an alcohol base, you wipe it on, you throw the pad away, and they've got protection that's good enough for daily exposure, certainly not for exercise or athletic events.

SUSAN CINGARI: What do you think the big advantages are to some of these new sunscreens?

BETTY BELLMAN, MD: They're going to increase patient's compliance. They're going to make you like it so much that you're going to want to use it every day, because it smells great, the bottle is great, it feels great on your skin. It makes you just want to use it, and that's what this is all about, protecting yourself on a daily basis.

BARRY RESNIK, MD: And it's so much more important to have your kids want to use. If you've got a gel with glitter in it, the kids are going to like the smell of it, they're going to use it. And you've got to practice what you preach. If the parents aren't going to use the sunscreens, how can you possibly expect the kids to do it?ou age.

SUSAN CINGARI: Dr. Barry Resnik, thank you for your time, some great advice, and Dr. Betty Bellman, thank you as well for your time, some great advice.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Susan Cingari from Miami.

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