Seattle Plastic Surgeon comments on the results of a long running sunscreen use study from Austrailia.
90% of this women’s skin aging is due to the sun. I hope her grandson uses sunscreen.
It’s that time of year when I must nag about tanning. In rainy Seattle it is so tempting to soak up the sun once summer arrives (that is usually about July 5th). But please, think before you rip off your clothes, don your thong and grab your beach towel.
A good study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine and reported in the Wall Street Journal has shown that regular use of sunscreen reduces skin aging by 24%. It had already been shown many times that sun protection prevents most types of skin cancer but now what seemed to be obvious has also got some scientific cred. Now my nagging has some scientific backing!
I’m certain we are hardwired to love the feel of photons bombarding our skin but way back when we were being hardwired and learning to walk upright, we would die from an abscessed tooth or a ruptured appendix or (if we were lucky) a quick take down by a leopard long before we developed skin cancer or even a bad case of the wrinkles.
Fortunately, sun protection has finally caught up with our longer life spans. We have really good sun screens and sun block, protective and comfortable clothing and don’t forget about umbrellas, cabanas and the most lovely shade of all, trees. And lets hear it for staying indoors when the sun is at it’s strongest. How about a nice glass of ice tea with some fresh mint leaves and a good book. May I recommend The Storms of Denali by Nicholas O’Connell, or A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, or I Remember Nothing by the late and great Norah Ephron?
And just to remind you, I nag because I care. Thanks for reading. Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder
I would be honored if you followed me on Instagram @sowdermd and @breastimplantsanity.
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