Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

What is a Sunburn?

Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.  A similar burn can follow overexposure to a tanning bed.  UV radiation can damage the eyes, although no surface burn may be apparent.

Sun poisoning is caused by severe sunburn; its symptoms include fever, nausea, chills, dizziness, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, dehydration, and shock.

Sunburn is a common condition in sunny places like Arizona.  In the United States, approximately 30 of adults and close to 80% of children report having at least one sunburn in the preceding year.

The Damage of Sunburn Lasts Longer than You Think

Repeated overexposure to ultraviolet rays can scar, freckle, dry out, and wrinkle the skin prematurely.  In addition, frequent overexposure to ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of skin cancer and serious eye disorders.

Tips to Avoid Sunburns

• UV rays may bounce off water, sand, and other surfaces.
• UV rays are most intense around the middle of the day, so try to avoid direct exposure during this time.
• Certain medications may increase sensitivity to sunburn (photosensitivity). Research your medications for photosensitivity if you are planning on being outside for prolonged periods.
• As important as sun block is, it can give you a false feeling of security. Skin is no match for the nuclear fusion of the Sun. Sunscreens wear off quickly and even faster when you are active. Apply more frequently if you are in the water or exercising.

What is UV light?

UV light is radiation energy in the form of invisible light waves.  UV light is emitted by the Sun and by tanning bed lamps.  The Sun discharges three types of ultraviolet radiation:

1.    ultraviolet A (UV-A)

2.   ultraviolet B (UV-B)

3.   ultraviolet C (UV-C)

Only UV-A and UV-B rays reach Earth. (UV-C does not penetrate the earth’s upper atmosphere so only astronauts are affected.)

Although research has long implicated UV-B as the most likely form of UV radiation to damage the skin and cause skin cancer, it is now known that UV-A is also dangerous. UVB is known to affect the outer layer of skin. UVA is much less intense than UVB, however, it is about 50 times more likely than UVB to reach deeper layers of skin to cause sun damage.

Tanning lamps also produce UV-A and/or UV-B.  These artificial rays affect the skin in the same way as do UV-A and UV-B from the sun.  There is no such thing as a safe tanning bed or a healthy tan. The sun blocks offered at North Valley Plastic Surgery are the best way to ensure you are protected.

What is SPF?

The Sun Protection Factor of a sunscreen is a laboratory measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen – the higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against the sun.

The SPF is an imperfect measure of skin damage because invisible damage and skin aging are also caused by UVA, which does not cause reddening or pain. Conventional sunscreen blocks very little UVA radiation relative to the nominal SPF; broad spectrum sunscreens like the ones sold at NVPS are designed to protect against both UVB and UVA.

Has Your Sun block Expired?

The molecules in suntan lotion (such as homosalate and octyl salicylate) block the penetration of UV radiation by acting as filters and absorbing and reflecting high energy UV.  Over time these molecules break down and lose effectiveness.  Even if you are buying new products always check the expiration dates.  Pick the one from the back of the self if it has the longest expiration date, just like you might already do with milk.

Today, most sun blocks will have expiration dates printed on them. However, some sunscreens do not have expiration dates.  Lot numbers can often be used to determine the date the product was manufactured.  The manufacture of your sun block should have information on its website to determine the age of the product.  Avoid sun blocks that appear to be old or are on clearance.

For Coppertone products, the first character of the lot code represents the year of manufacture (7=2007, etc). The second character is a bit more involved.  It will tell you the month of manufacture using this code: A=Jan, B=Feb, C=Mar, D=Apr, E=May, but then G=June, H=July, J=Aug, K=Sept, M=Oct, N=Nov, and P=Dec.

For Banana Boat products, the first 2 digits of the code represent the year it was made (07=2007, etc.) and the next 3 digits represent the day of the year (32=Feb 1st, 365=Dec 31st, etc).

Don’t assume that a store will not sell expired products; if you can’t tell when the sun block expires, don’t buy it.

SPF sunscreens normally have a shelf life of  three years from the date of manufacture not the date of purchase.

Sunburn Home Remedies and Treatment

Certain medical treatments have been studied to treat sunburns by scientists and sun worshipers.  In general, most remedies have not shown any clinically proven benefit to speed the recovery or reversing the damage of sunburns.  Therefore most of the treatments available are only used to give relief of the symptoms.

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) in oral (ibuprofen, Motrin, Naprosyn, Advil etc.) have shown to reduce redness if applied before or immediately after exposure. This benefit may be diminished after 24 hours. These medications mayalso help relieve the symptoms of sunburn such as pain and discomfort.
• Topical steroid creams have not shown any significant improvement in sunburn symptoms. Oral steroids such as prednisone have not proven to be beneficial and have been associated with some significant side effects.
• Aloe Vera on the skin also has not been beneficial in treating the actual sunburn. However, this is beneficial in treating the symptoms and giving a cooling effect that brings temporary relief.
• Topical anesthetics such as benzocaine may help with symptoms of sunburn, however, little clinical data is available to substantiate their effectiveness.
• Oral Sun blocks don’t have a lot of research to support their effectiveness but they are advertised online occasionally. Manufactures of the drugs claim that they decrease the negative effects of UV rays decreasing the chance of sunburn. Until more studies are done, you should stick with regular prevention and treatment methods.

Sun Protection for Tattoos

Protect your tattoos from the sun like you would protect a baby.  If you have a tattoo, the ideal would be to keep it out of the sunlight completely.  Sun will fade and damage a colored tattoo much faster than a black tattoo.  If you are going to be outside, protect your tattoo with a minimum 30SPF sun block.  This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years.

Healthy Sun Exposure

Vitamin D is made in the skin when cholesterol precursors react with sunlight.  Vitamin D is essential for the body to absorb calcium and several important body systems.  People get most of their vitamin D from the Sun.  In fact, the farther people live from the equator, the more vitamin D supplements they need.

While regular tanning is not healthy, full body exposure to the sun for 10 minutes a day, a few days a week, is not only healthy but necessary to our well-being.  But don’t be fooled into thinking sun tanning is healthy….if you live in Arizona, you likely get all of the Vitamin D produced by the Sun you need, without even trying.

How North Valley Plastic Surgery can Help

The skin care department at NVPS has the finest sun blocks available anywhere.  We offer a complimentary skin consult that can help repair damaged skin and protect your skin from the elements.  Because most skin damage happens when you are young, you make a huge difference in the health of your children by keeping their skin protected.  Due to our high demand we are able to offer our medical grade sun blocks at 20% off this summer.  Call our office at 480-991-6877, ext 7010. Protect yourself and your family from sunburn, excessive sun exposure, and sun poisoning this summer.

Steven M. Gitt, MD, FACS

Clay Johnson

North Valley Plastic Surgery

WWW.NVPSAZ.Com