May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and dermatologists want people to know how to protect themselves against the most serious skin cancer — melanoma.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, nearly 9,500 people every day are diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States. But there are things you can do to protect yourself.
Dr. Pooja Sodha, associate professor of dermatology at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, told WTOP that while you can’t change your genetic predisposition to skin cancer, you can defend against it with one simple act — using sunscreen.
Sodha said it’s vital to use sunscreen any time you’re outdoors.
For best results, skip the SPF 15 formulas, instead “SPF 30 gives you about 97% blockage” against the sun’s damaging rays, she said.
“But remember, sunscreen doesn’t last forever. After about an hour to two hours, the material that’s in that sunscreen has degraded, if you will, it’s done what it can do to protect you from … sun exposure, and you have to reapply,” Sodha said.
‘Picking the right SPF is super important’
At this time of year, drugstores and department stores are packed with a wide variety of sunscreens with varying SPFs and ingredients, all claiming to protect skin from the sun.
So what should you get?
“I tell patients that I prefer cream or stick-based applications where you can get a more even coat,” she said. “I lean toward the mineral sunscreens, I lean toward creams and sticks … on face, neck and chest and I use sticks on the rest of my body.”
Sodha explains why spray-based formulas may not be the best: “The coverage is not usually even across the body surface, and more and more we’ve been learning about the effects of benzene in a lot of skin care products, and many aerosol products do have that.”
The AADA explains that mineral sunscreens, or physical sunscreens, that have zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, are a bit safer and don’t absorb as much. Sodha recommended this type of sunscreen for pregnant women and young children.
“I think that these are a bit safer, and you don’t have as much absorption as some of the other organic or chemical sunscreens,” she said.
Sunscreens that don’t contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are often referred to as chemical sunscreens.
If you do opt for the mineral sunscreen, Sodha said, go for “at least a 15% concentration of zinc oxide.”
“Picking the right SPF is super important,” Sodha said. “I think the 15s don’t just quite get you there, I think you need to make sure you’re above 30.”
And whether you’re poolside, at the beach or taking part in outdoor sports where you’ll be sweating, reapplication is key.
Sodha said look for a sunscreen that says it’s water-resistant: “Because those sunscreens are specifically tested for their resilience to sort of cope through water-based exposures, whether it’s the pool, the beach or sports.”
What to know about skin cancer
“Although skin cancers are more common in Caucasian patients, it … does happen in Black patients, in Hispanic patients and in Asian patients, like myself. And so by no means are we protected entirely,” she said.
Staying out of the sun and making sure you wear sunscreen when you are outdoors not only reduces your risk of skin cancer, but also helps reduce skin aging.
“The sun doesn’t just trigger changes in the way cells behave, but it also changes the support structure of our skin,” Sodha said.
While there are a lot of criticisms of social media, one thing that has changed, Sodha believes, is that people have become more conscious of how they look. And a slight upside is that it’s motivated many people to look for ways to take good care of their skin.
“I think that more and more men are coming in with these questions and concerns,” she said.
And that has led many to include the use of sunscreens as part of their daily routine.
“They also have very mindful girlfriends and wives, and I think that’s the other piece of it,” she said with a laugh.