SPF: It’s Not Just for Summer
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

SPF: It’s Not Just for Summer

If you equate sunscreen with summer and tuck it away once the weather turns cool, you may need to rethink your strategy.

While it’s true that UVB rays are strongest in the summer, they can cause sunburn and lead to damage any season of the year. Winter is of particular concern in our region as snow reflects up to 80% of UV rays, meaning you’re getting nearly a double dose of damaging rays on sunny days. Without proper protection, all that exposure can increase your risk of developing skin cancer and joining the ranks of the estimated 9,500 Americans diagnosed with skin cancer every day. Tragically, one person dies of melanoma—the deadliest type of skin cancer— every hour, every day. 

To reduce your risk in winter and beyond, keep these facts in tip in mind:

Elevation matters

Snowsport lovers have a higher chance of skin damage during the winter months as UV levels rise 4-5% with every 1000 feet of elevation above sea level gained.

Every day is a sunscreen day

Regardless of the temperature or cloud cover, applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to exposed skin should be a part of your daily routine. For best results, apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before heading outdoors.

The lips don’t lie

With very little melanin, the pigment that helps protect against sunburn, the lips are one of the most vulnerable parts of the body and the most prone to painful sunburn. To protect your lips, apply a lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher when venturing out in any season. Be sure to reapply frequently, especially if eating, drinking, or swimming.

Measure once, apply twice (at least)

Sunscreen only works if you apply the correct amount and repeat application for extended stays outside. For your face, ears and neck, use approximately ⅓ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon of sunscreen. For the full body, bump the amount up to 1 to 2 ounces (enough to fill a shot glass). Be sure to re-apply every two hours and after swimming or heavy sweating.

You missed a spot

Parts of the body commonly missed when applying sunscreen include:

  • Tops of the ears

  • Back of the hands

  • Tops of the feet

  • Lips

  • Sides of the neck

  • Behind the knees

  • Eyelids

  • Scalp

  • Upper chest.

 

Lixia Ellis, MD, PhD is a dermatologist at SVMC Dermatology.

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Six Questions with General Surgeon Gina Diaz, MD

Both outpatient surgical procedures and those requiring an overnight stay are once again being offered at SVMC. General Surgeon Gina Diaz, MD, answers six questions about resuming surgical procedures safely.

1. How does it feel to be able to, once again, offer all of the procedures you had in the past?

As a surgeon, I like to do surgeries. So, to be honest, it feels wonderful get back to the work I enjoy. From late March through the beginning of May, we were still performing emergency surgeries, so everyone who needed a surgery was able to receive one during that time. But it's good to be back to a mix of scheduled and emergency procedures.

 

2. What types of procedures you perform?

My mentor during training sub-specialized in colon and rectal surgeries, and he passed that expertise and interest on to me. But I decided not to sub-specialize, because I also enjoy doing gall bladders, ulcer surgery, hernias, and the removal of skin lesions, cysts, and melanomas. Dr. Charles Salem and I work as a team on breast cancer surgeries. As a group, we provide thyroid and parathyroid and endocrine surgeries. And I provide colonoscopies. I grew up playing video games, which have a lot in common with colonoscopies, I think.

 

3. What do you like most about your job?

Surgery allows you to fix a problem for a patient right then and there. You don't have to wait 6 months for the problem to get better. You can make a problem go away. It’s very rewarding in that way.

 

4. In general, what additional precautions have been put in place to ensure that care is safe?

As surgeons, our precautionary measures have always been among the most advanced. We have always washed and sanitized many, many times a day. We were accustomed to wearing masks and shields, long before COVID-19. We implemented all of the recommendations from our industry, state, and national health institutions and review them consistently.

The whole team takes and reports their temperature daily. If patients are at risk of COVID-19, we wear N95 masks and can convert the operating room into a negative-pressure room. All of these precautions ensure that we don’t transmit infections to patients and they don't transmit them to us. I feel really good about the precautions that we have put in place.

 

5. What would you like to share with people who postponed care because of COVID-19?

I would share that it is safe to come to the hospital, see your providers, and have surgeries done. Adequate precautions are in place, and they are not going anywhere. We, as a group, feel it's safe. We encourage patients who are apprehensive to ask a lot of questions. We want them to be as comfortable as we are about having their procedure done.

 

6. How do you feel about providing care during this time?

I feel comfortable and safe providing care at this time. The new precautions we have put in place really protect both patients and staff, and the quality of care we provide is as high as ever. 

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