A new study examined how effective various techniques were at preventing sunburn, and it found that people who say they vigilantly apply sunscreen are more likely to have had damaging sunburns, which can increase the risk of skin cancer.
Researcher Dr. Eleni Linos, a dermatologist at Stanford University, says that her results don’t mean that sunscreen doesn’t work or shouldn’t be used, as the study was designed to look at patterns, not to prove cause and effect.
Linos believes that the most likely explanation for the study results is user error — people aren’t applying as much sunscreen as often as they should. Aim for a golf ball-sized amount for every exposed body part and be sure to reapply every two hours (or every 60 to 90 minutes if swimming or sweating).
The FDA’s new regulations for sunscreens, which will be implemented in 2012, should also make it easier to choose a good sunscreen.
Other Methods for Preventing Sunburn
The study shows that many people only use sunscreen for protection from the sun, when it should be used in combination with other preventative techniques to avoid sunburn. Here are a few things you can do to help prevent sunburn in addition to wearing sunscreen.
- Stay in the shade. “Myself, personally, I’m a dermatologist, and I don’t even wear sunscreen all that much. I stay in the shade,” says Dr. Ronald P. Rapini, a professor of dermatology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
- Wear a hat. Protective clothing should also be part of your multi-pronged approach to avoiding sunburns.
- Wear long sleeves. The study showed that those who frequently sought shade and wore long sleeves had about a 30% lower sunburn risk compared to those who rarely used those measures.
“The best data that’s out there shows the combination of seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and wearing sunscreen, those three things together clearly lower your risk,” says Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University.
