protecting-your-skin-from-the-sun-this-summer

The UK's leading skin clinic/

we are open now

Dr Jinah Yoo answers questions on protecting your skin from the sun

Sun awareness week is between the 4th and 10th of May, and although we all know that wearing SPF in the summer months is a must, how many of us are actually applying it properly? We have worked with our skincare expert Dr Jinah Yoo, a consultant dermatologist to give us her insight on wearing SPF and protecting our skin as well as answering some top questions we find ourselves asking.

Q: General Health & Wellbeing What is the best skincare for sun-sensitive skin?

A: Sun-sensitive skin can present as sunburn, prickly heat or make skin conditions like Rosacea worse. Protecting the skin from the sun should be the centre of your skincare routine, especially for those with sun-sensitive skin. Mineral sunscreen containing titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, which are very gentle ingredients and suitable for sensitive skin, is preferable than chemical sunscreen. In terms of your routine skincare products, it is best to go for fragrance-free products as fragrances can irritate your skin.

Q: What are the top skincare tips for sunburn?

A: Sunburn will make the skin become red, painful and potentially peel. To reduce the pain and soothe the skin, you can cool down your skin with frequent cool showers or use moisturisers containing aloe vera or soy. If you develop blisters, you need to leave them to heal by themselves, this is so that the blister can be used as a natural dressing and prevent infection.

Q: What skin treatments are available for sun-damaged skin?

A: Photo-aged skin can appear in many ways including wrinkles, sagging and pigmentation. If your main concern is photo-aged skin, various treatment including chemical peel, microneedling, lasers, skin lightening creams or topical retinoid cream could be considered, depending on individual’s skin assessment. As a result of long-term sun damage, rough patches can appear on sun-exposed skin which is called actinic keratosis. These are considered as precursors of skin cancer and you need to see your GP or a dermatologist to be treated with prescription cream or scraping of the lesion under local anaesthetic injection, depending on the area, size and extent of the sun-damages.

Q: What are the most common mistakes you see people making when using and applying sunscreen?

A: Studies have shown that most people apply less than half of the amount required to provide enough sun protection. If you are using sun lotions, you should apply at least six teaspoons to cover the body of an average adult and half a teaspoon to face and neck.

Q: What exactly happens to the skin when it’s overexposed to the sun?

A: The dark pigment produced in our skin, called melanin, increases in response to sun exposure. This is in an attempt to absorb UV and protect our skin. Increased production of melanin subsequently can mean skin becomes tanned. However, in lighter skin types, there is a smaller amount of melanin, meaning that the skin tends to react to UV rather than protecting against it. This means that lighter skin type tends to burn rather than tan.

Q: What are the earliest signs of skin damage which we might not pick up on?

A: Skin can appear dry, flaky and itchy with sun-damage which can be confused with many other skin conditions.