All posts by : ayanaclinic

What’s the best way to protect my children from the sun?

Sunscreen needs to applied -don’t save your sunscreen for sunny days only – Upto 80 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can pass through the clouds. Follow these sun safety tips daily:

Apply the right amount of sunscreen – with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 – to cover all the exposed areas of the body. To give you an idea of how much sunscreen you’ll need – It take a tablespoon to cover the exposed areas of the body of an adult – a little less for a child depending on his or her size. Make “More Is Better” your motto!

Apply sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before heading outdoors as it can take 30 minutes for a sunscreen to start working. The ingredients in the sunscreen kick start being active in half hour.

Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after a dip in the pool, even if you are using a water-resistant product. Sunscreens rub, wash and sweat off easily. If your child is playing sports and sweating a lot, reapply more frequently.

Wear protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat, lip balm with an SPF and sunglasses. Clothing with a tight weave provides the best protection – hold your favourite shirt up to the sun so see how much light comes through. For example, a dry, white T-shirt typically only offers an SPF of about 7.

Stay in the shade during the sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Remember, too, that the sun reflects from sand, water and the pavement, so make sure your kids apply sunscreen all over to protect themselves from the sun’s rays whether they come from above or below.

Broad-spectrum is best. Choose a sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum (this will be listed on the packaging) coverage against both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light. These are the rays of the sun that can cause sunburn, skin damage, cancer and wrinkles.

Go for at least SPF 30. Pick a product that is water-resistant and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Anything above 30 does not give you that much additional protection. The SPF number on the sunscreen bottle is a guide to how long you can stay in the sun without risking sunburn. This is calculated by comparing the amount of time it takes to get sunburn on sunscreen-protected skin, compared to the time it takes to cause sunburn on unprotected skin. For example, it takes about 10 minutes for unprotected skin to burn; whereas with an SPF 15 sunscreen, it takes 150 minutes to burn. Currently, SPF refers only to protection from UVB light.

Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for young children and those with sensitive skin. Look for these ingredients if you have infants or young children , or you or your kids have sensitive skin or eczema. These ingredients physically block the sun’s rays from penetrating the skin. Chemically-based products absorb the sun’s rays and dissipate them as heat. These are also effective and safe for older children and adults without any skin sensitivities.

A lack of this important vitamin can cause serious illnesses such as rickets, a disease that weakens bones. Sun exposure is one way of obtaining vitamin D and wearing sunscreen does decrease the skin’s production of it. However, intentional sun exposure is not the best option for your child’s health. Instead talk to your doctor about adding more vitamin D rich foods to your children’s diet or taking a daily supplement.

“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”― Helen Keller.

I would add- but please wear sunscreen first.

The Sun’s ultraviolet rays are a constant presence on the earth. The need to protect from harsh

sunlight has been recognized since long. Human exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight

is known to cause adverse effects.

UVB radiation (290-320 nm) is mainly responsible for the most severe damage: acute damage, such

as sunburn, and chronic damage like skin cancer. It has a direct impact on cell DNA and proteins.

UVA radiation (320-400 nm) is not directly absorbed by cells, but yet can dramatically impair cell and

tissue functions. UVA penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB.It particularly affects connective

tissue where it produces detrimental reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS cause damage to DNA,

cells, vessels, and tissues. Photosensitivity reactions and photodermatoses are primarily mediated by

UVA.

It is important to note that under any meteorological conditions, UVA irradiance is at least 17 times

higher than UVB irradiance. For all these reasons, it is evident that sunscreens must contain both

UVA and UVB filters to cover the entire range of harmful radiation.

Sunscreens have been divided into chemical absorbers and physical blockers on the basis of their

mechanism of action. Chemical sunscreens are generally aromatic compounds conjugated with a

carbonyl group. This general structure allows the molecule to absorb high-energy ultraviolet rays

and release the energy as lower-energy rays, thereby preventing the skin damaging ultraviolet rays

from reaching the skin. So, upon exposure to UV light, most of the do not undergo significant

chemical change. This allows these ingredients to retain the UV-absorbing potency without

significant photodegradation, thereby preventing the skin-damaging ultraviolet rays from reaching

the skin. Physical blockers or non chemical sunscreens reflect or scatter UVR. They contain inert

minerals such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

An appropriate sunscreen product should provide effective protection against both UVB and UVA

radiation, must be stable to heat and to UV-radiation (photostable), and should be cost-effective and

userfriendly to encourage frequent application and provide reliable protection. To protect against

both UVB and UVA, it must contain a combination of active ingredients (either organic or inorganic)

within a complex vehicle matrix. Active ingredients can act either by absorption, or reflection or

diffusion of UV radiation (UVR).Organic ultraviolet filters are active ingredients that absorb UVR

energy to a variable extent within a specific range of wavelengths depending on their chemical

structure. The control of filter behavior under UV exposure is a critical issue that needs to be

thoroughly investigated when new sunscreen products are developed.

Practicing dermatologists often encounter patients complaining of worsening pigmentation or

recurrent polymorphous light eruption in spite of using sunscreens with “good sun protection factor

(SPF)” or “SPF >50”. It is important for both dermatologists and the public to be aware that a good

SPF value will not protect the skin from the entire UV spectrum. In fact, in 2007, the FDA has

proposed that the expansion of SPF be changed to “sunburn protection factor” to indicate that it is

only an index of protection against sunburn or UVB-induced erythema, and hence does not

necessarily imply UVA or broad spectrum protection

Grading system for SPF: • Low: SPF 2 – 15 • Medium: SPF 15 – 30 High: SPF 30 – 50 • Highest: SPF >50

Note: It is noteworthy that a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 blocks about 93% of UVB radiation, while

one with an SPF of 30 blocks about 97% of UVB radiation. This difference of 4% may make the

difference between an aesthetically pleasing sunscreen and an undesirable one, as products with

higher SPF generally tend to be uncomfortable due to the higher concentration of the active

ingredient.

Most individuals do not apply enough sunscreen to achieve adequate protection. It has been found

that 20-50% of the required amount of sunscreen is usually used by most individuals. To cover the

average 1.73 m2 adult, approximately 35ml of sunscreen is required. The teaspoon rule of applying

sunscreen is as follows: Apply slightly more than ½ teaspoon (~3ml) to each arm, to the face and the

neck. On each leg, the chest and back, apply slightly more than a teaspoon (~6ml).Using an adequate

amount of sunscreen (2 mg/cm2) provides greater sun protection than using an inadequate amount

of a sunscreen with a higher SPF rating. Patients should select broad-spectrum sunscreens that

contain agents that effectively block both UVB and UVA rays with an SPF of 30 or greater. A

sunscreen with a SPF of 15 filters out approximately 94% of the UVB rays. One with a SPF of 30 filters

out 97%. The SPF applies for UVB rays only. The protection provided against UVA rays in chemical

sunscreens is about 10% of the UVB rating.[26] Natural pigments such as titanium dioxide and zinc

oxide are good UVB and UVA blockers. Today, certain chemicals can be added to sunscreen products

to give them good UVA ray blocking abilities. Such chemicals include avobenzone and Mexoryl SX.

Foundation makeup products without sunscreen may not offer more than a SPF of 4 via its pigment

content. However, most of cosmetic products that contain sunscreen chemicals offer various SPF

levels up to 15-30.

Sunscreens alone may provide insufficient protection from UVR as they prevent sunburn from UV-B

radiation and provide more limited protection from UV-A radiation. Avoiding solar exposure at times

of peak intensity, using cover-up garments and sunscreen lotions is an effective combination for

protection of the skin on sunny and cloudy days.

Sunscreen should be applied properly to all sun exposed areas (in a concentration of 2 mg/cm2 ),

and allowed to dry completely before sun exposure. It should be reapplied every 2 hours, and after

swimming, vigorous activity, excessive perspiration, or toweling.

Why do Dermatologists sometimes prescribe Steroids? What is the rationale behind prescribing Steroids?

Many skin diseases are due to autoimmunity & are associated with inflammation in the skin- your

immunity acting against your skin. So logically, to suppress this dysregulated autoimmunity, steroids

are prescribed either in cream or in oral form.

Why are oral/ topical steroids infamous?

Because of improper/ rigorous misuse. Dysregulated self-medication with steroids can cause side

effects, unless administered under the watchful eye of your doctor.

Why do people use steroids on their own?

It is an unpleasant fact that many skin diseases are autoimmune & recurrent. So when patients take

steroids, they feel better and when the disease recurs, they start taking steroids on their own since

they know it works every time. But there is a difference between self-steroid use & prescription by

Dermatologist.

Dermatologists will take all measures to reduce side effects of steroids by thorough assessment of

skin disease as well as your general health before starting steroids.

Dermatologist knows when to start/stop steroid use. We identify side effects of steroids at the

earliest and make necessary adjustments in dosage, limiting damage. So understand that steroid is a

prescription medicine & not an OTC product.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT STEROIDS ARE VERY USEFUL MEDICINES BUT AT THE SAME TIME CARRY

RISK OF CERTAIN SIDE EFFECTS. IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSUMED OR APPLIED WITHOUT ADVICE OF

DERMATOLOGIST.

AVOID SELF MEDICATION WITH STEROIDS

Variations in pigmentation on the facial skin is common. There are many reasons why one gets loss of pigmentation or white spots on the face – sun allergy, fungal infections, the reaction of cosmetics are the common causes. More serious diseases which cause loss of pigmentation include vitiligo, low grade skin malignancy and autoimmune skin diseases. It is a condition of an autoimmune disorder wherein the immune system of the body attacks the healthy cells which produce melanin/ skin pigment and, in turn, starts affecting the ability of the melanin-producing cells from functioning thereby resulting in the light coloured and sometimes milky white pigmentation on the skin.

One of the less common and thankfully regressing causes of white patches on the skin is a form of Hansen’s disease or Leprosy. This is easily treatable and non contagious. But before knowing how to remove these white spots from face, we must know about the reasons for their appearance.