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Doctor’s ‘non-negotiable’ warning to remember SPF is just as important in winter
As the days get colder, sitting on the beach applying sunscreen is a distant memory, but a doctor has warned about the importance of SPF even in the fall and winter.
Sunscreen is something that most people associate with the summer months, but it’s just as essential to use a high factor when you venture outside in the cooler months too.
Doctor’s warning to apply SPF this fall and winter
In collaboration with Cult Beauty, Dr. Deborah Lee from�Dr Fox Pharmacy�warns that you should be applying sunscreen on all areas of your body every single time you leave the house in the winter – calling it a “non-negotiable”.
As explained by the American Academy of Dermatology, cold weather doesn’t stop the UV ways from penetrating into your skin. You don’t feel the heat like you do on a bright summer’s day, but sun exposure is still there, even when it’s cloudy.
There can still be a risk of burning, especially during winter activities like skiing as the UV light reflects off the snow and ice. These UV rays can cause skin cancer, so it’s just as important to protect yourself all year round.
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Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, which only accounts for around 1% of all diagnosed skin cancers but is responsible for most of the deaths. Other common non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell and squamous cell.
How much SPF to apply in the colder months
You don’t need to be topping up your sunscreen every few hours like you do in the summer, but it should still be a daily essential. You can apply your SPF in the morning before you get dressed and then you’re good for the day – but how much do you need to use?
Well, Lee says you can use teaspoons as a guide: two teaspoons on the face and neck, one teaspoon on each arm, one teaspoon on each leg, two teaspoons over the chest and stomach and two teaspoons covering the back and shoulders.
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to provide suitable defence and always let the formula soak into your skin for at least 15 minutes before going outdoors. Your face, neck and hands are most important as these are the areas most exposed to the sun in the colder months.
Not applying SPF can cause premature aging
As well as preventing against skin cancer, applying SPF in the fall and winter will stop your skin from aging too rapidly.
The sun can cause your skin to age prematurely, which is known as photoaging, Manhattan Dermatology reveals. It can make you look older than your age by causing fine lines, wrinkles, sunspots, and discoloration – and not just on your face.
This aging shows on all areas of your body, including your neck, hands, arms and lips, caused by UV rays consistently hitting the skin over a matter of years and damaging its DNA.
Your cells produce a substance called melanin to try and prevent further damage, which is what gives you a tan, but that is actually just your body’s defence mechanism to stop radiation from penetrating your skin.
Remember, skin damage is irreversible – so look after it.
Dr. Deborah Lee is a qualified doctor in the UK who now works as a health and medical writer with an emphasis on women’s health. She graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine from the Southampton University School of Medicine.
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