The Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — Every Villager has seen them: the out-of-towners visiting from the North, sporting a bright red neck or face burned by the unrelenting Florida sun — they stick out like sore thumbs.

According to board-certified dermatologist Thi Tran of Village Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, using sunscreen can go a long way toward keeping skin from turning a stinging shade of pink. However, it is important to know what you are buying, he added.

“There is misunderstanding regarding the SPF factor,” Tran said in reference to the sun protection factor in sunscreen.

The SPF listed on sunscreen bottles protects users only from UVB rays which cause the short-term redness and irritation of a sunburn, but does not protect from UVA rays, which can have long-term effects, Tran said.

“When you go to the beach you get the exposure, you get the redness and the burn — that’s what the UVB does,” Tran said. “The SPF factor that is not measured is the UVA — or its ability to block UVA.”

UVA rays, according to Tran, lead to such problems as premature wrinkling, aging skin and sun damage associated with skin cancer.

Although the FDA lacks a standard measure for UVA rays, products are available that protect sun-seekers from both UVB and UVA rays, Tran said.

“What a consumer or patient should look for is what’s called broad spectrum sunscreen,” he added. “The broad spectrum comes with both UVA and UVB protection.”

According to Tran, even if consumers buy the right product, common mistakes need to be avoided to ensure that users get the best protection possible.

“Most of us are conservative in applying any type of lotions and that certainly includes sunscreen,” Tran said.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you apply 1 ounce, “the equivalent of a shot glass,” Tran said.

“I tell patients you want to frost the cake … you want to put it on nice and thick and you want to cover all areas that the sun is hitting,” Tran said.

Because sunscreen is a chemical, it takes time to work. Tran points out that people need to apply it 15 to 20 minutes before they go out in the sun.

Reapplication should occur every two hours.

“If you are playing a championship (golf) course, you should be reapplying every two hours … at the turn of the nine,” Tran said.

Matt Dixon is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9089, or Matthew.Dixon@thevillagesmedia.com.