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health Sun Safety to make this trip. Incidentally, it also takes a little over eight minutes to use sunscreen to protect yourself from those rays. When it comes to sunburns, an ounce of prevention is T worth a pound of cure. Sunscreen, when used as directed, prevents sunburns by blocking UV-B light. The recommend- ed amount of sunscreen to cover an adult who weights 150 pounds is one ounce. And while more is needed for larger adults, studies show that most of us are lucky to use even half Shedding light on sun protection guidelines BY DR. LENNY SALZBERG, M.D. he sun, a rotating ball of gas 93 million miles away, generates energy by nuclear fusion and radiates this energy toward earth, supporting life. It takes a little over eight minutes for sunlight UV-B is blocked by window glass and, in addition to caus- ing sunburns, is linked to basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. The SPF is the amount of UV-B radiation needed to cause a sunburn on skin with sunscreen, as a multiple of the amount required without sunscreen. But SPF does not tell you anything about the sunscreen's ability to block UV-A light. UV-A is the most common form of UV light that makes it through the ozone layer and reaches the earth. It passes through window glass, can penetrate into the deepest lay- ers of the skin and is associated with premature aging and melanoma, a rare and deadly form of skin cancer. There are ingredients that are in some sunscreens, such as Avobenzone, The recommended amount of sunscreen to cover an adult who weighs 150 pounds is one ounce. of that, especially when using spray sunscreen. Using less than the recommended amounts of sunscreen dramatically reduces your SPF and any area that you've missed entirely has an SPF of zero, meaning that you're likely to get burned there. Sunburns are first-degree (superficial) burns that usually heal in five to 10 days. The most extreme pain is usually six hours to two days aſter exposure to the sun. The skin usually peels in three to eight days, and may itch for longer than that. Superficial burns, including sunburns, heal best in moist en- vironments. Aloe Vera, lotion, antibiotic ointment, and even honey (yum!) help accelerate the repair of damaged skin and reduce dryness. Aloe Vera and topical NSAIDS (e.g. Voltaren Gel) will reduce pain, as will systemic pain relievers like Ty- lenol or Advil. So what is SPF? The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is the product's ability to which are excellent absorbers of UV-A light. Unfortunately, they break down quickly unless other ingredients (like Oxy- benzone) are added to stabilize them. There are other effective ingredients that help provide broad-spectrum UV coverage (including ecamsule, cinoxate, menthyl anthranilate, octyl methoxycinnamate, octyl salicylate, and sulisobenzone.) What does all this mean to regular people? Well, according absorb or reflect UV-B light. In addition to the visible light spectrum, rays emitted from the sun include Ultraviolet (UV) light, a wavelength shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. UV-B is the form of UV light that causes sunburns. to the American Academy of Dermatology, we should gener- ously apply one ounce of sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B light fiſteen to thirty minutes before going out in the sun. The sunscreen should be water resistant and have a SPF of 30 or higher. We should then re-apply sunscreen every two hours or aſter swimming or sweating. We also should use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect UV rays. This should help prevent sunburns, and may prevent skin cancer, as well. CV gional AHEC Family Medicine Center. He has never used hon- ey on burned skin, but he does like it in his tea. Dr. Salzberg sees patients and teaches at the Southern Re- CityViewNC.com | 29

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