CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Beauty may only be skin deep, but sun damage lurks just below the surface -- not always visible to the naked eye. The unmistakable beginnings of age spots, wrinkles and liver spots can leap out when apparently healthy skin is examined under a Wood's lamp with ultraviolet light.
Dermatologists and aestheticians use this diagnostic tool.
Kathy Rubio, aesthetician and owner of Spa Bliss in Kanawha City, uses a Wood's lamp to examine clients' skin and to recommend skin-care regimes. Her own skin glows in the subdued lighting of the spa, but suspicious-looking spots appear under the lamp's merciless light.
"Just like everyone else, I was out in the sun all the time as a kid," she said. "I can't do anything about that, but I stay out of the sun today, or I use either 30 or 45 SPF and reapply every hour or two."
Years of sun worship, or just plain outdoor activity and age can damage skin, but simple preventive care limits the ill effects and still allows fun in the sun.
Dr. Richard Reynolds, a Charleston dermatologist, advises his patients to carefully select their sunscreens and reapply every hour when they are swimming or sweating.
"In my office, we don't get as hung up on SPF numbers as we do sunscreen ingredients," he said.
For protection against both long-term damage and immediate burning, look for products that list avobenzone for UVA rays and at least SPF15 for UVB, Reynolds said. UVB light causes surface sunburn, while UVA light penetrates and causes deeper connective-tissue damage. UVA light is the culprit for premature aging and cell-level damage. "We say the A in UVA stands for aging, and the B in UVB stands for burning," Rubio said. "You have to protect against both." Reynolds hesitated to recommend brands, but said the line of Coppertone products SPF 50 and 70 were especially good. The convenience of spray sunscreens can't be beat when applied to squirming children, but Reynolds recommends rubbing in a lotion sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure. The sprays are fine for reapplications. "Patients tell me they keep their sunscreen in their golf bag and the car," Reynolds said. "I tell them they're applying it too late. They need to apply it at home, half an hour before they hit the golf course or pool." Average-size adults should apply about a shot-glass amount of sunscreen to their bodies and a teaspoon of facial sunscreen to their faces. Rubio also uses a daily moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15, even if most of her day is spent indoors. "People have more damage on the left side of their faces just from the light that comes in through a car window when they're driving," she said.
People who use tanning beds to acquire a tanned appearance often believe the beds cause less skin damage than the sun. Tanning beds use UVA rays, which are less likely to cause a burn, but create deeper damage, resulting in a leathery, wrinkled skin. Recent studies confirm that UVA rays increase the risk of skin cancer, Reynolds said. So how to get a summer glow without further damaging skin? Self-tanning products are safe, although Reynolds expressed some concern about inhaling the product in spray booths. The products don't damage the skin, as long as the user remembers to use sunscreen. Keep skin healthy this summer with appropriate cleansing and exfoliation, Rubio said. A series of microdermabrasions at a spa will give quick results, removing dead skin cells and revealing fresher skin underneath, but at home products are available for do-it-yourselfers. Enzyme peels remove the outermost layer of dead skin, she said People mistakenly believe that the appearance of age spots, or areas of pigmentations, can be reduced by a suntan. The opposite is true. "The sun makes age spots darken. They'll lighten if you stay out of the sun," Rubio said. "Sunscreen will help if you're in the sun." The temptation to hide imperfections with heavy makeup isn't a good summertime solution. The makeup clogs pores, especially on hot, steamy days.
A light powder-based makeup provides coverage on summer days. Bronzers add a summer glow and shimmery finishers create a dewy look. Mineral makeup, or makeup made of minerals mined from the earth, is a popular choice for a light summer look. Until people realize that tanned skin is not healthy skin, dermatologists fight an uphill battle to persuade their patients to protect themselves. "Any tanned skin is damaged skin," Reynolds said. "Society in general views it as attractive, but some of the fashion magazines and publications like Vogue are starting to use pale models."
