The skin areas are often forgotten when applying sunscreen, they need to know this

When not protected, exposure to the sun can be dangerous to the skin. And skin cancer is also the most common form of cancer. According to the report of the American Academy of Dermatology, there are 9,500 diagnoses of skin cancer every day.

Although the use of sunscreen and other sun protection measures have become popular, most people still forget to protect sensitive areas on the face such as lips, ears and skin around the eyes.

Research has shown that people who use moisturizers with a high SPF sunscreen tend to ignore parts that are prone to cancer on the face. In the study, 22 men and 62 women were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays twice to the laboratory. At the first time, the study subjects used traditional sunscreen, and in the remaining time, they used moisturizer containing SPF.

Later, their images were captured by ultraviolet-sensitive cameras to check the extent of skin damage. The results showed that more than 16% of the participants did not apply moisturizer containing SPF index on light-sensitive areas on the face and head, compared to just over 11% of those who did not use Traditional sunscreen properly.

The team was surprised at these results. They had expected that the result would be that the eyelid area would not be overlooked when using moisturizer over sunscreen, because the moisturizer would be less irritating if it accidentally got into the eye, or would it There is no difference in the use of these two creams.

Parts are often forgotten

Inadequate sun protection for facial parts is one of the reasons for the high incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (melanoma skin cancer).

Many people often ignore protecting vulnerable areas such as lips or eyelids when out.

Usually, people do not pay attention to the areas of ears, lips, and eyelids and often do not have any specific instructions on how to use sunscreen in these forgotten areas. Experts also said that education campaigns on sun protection have shown effectiveness in recent years. However, focusing on sensitive skin areas like ears is still a weakness of these propaganda campaigns. This contributes to increased risk of serious cancer.

Many people do not realize that even if they regularly use sunscreen at the present time, about 60% of the rate of sun exposure has occurred since before 18 years of age.

In addition, there is a misconception that sunshine only affects your skin when it is sunny. The truth is that even in cold, cloudy days, without a single ray of sunshine, only about 20% of UV rays are blocked and you still have a high risk of UV exposure. Even when driving a car, UV rays still pass through the glass and cause skin damage.

Experts recommend daily use of sunscreen products with SPF 30 or higher on exposed skin areas that are frequently exposed to light.

Which sunscreen should I use?

Gel or cream sunscreens can sometimes cause eye or skin under the eyes, especially when sweating and sunscreen get into the eyes.

The most suitable sunscreen for the skin around the eyes are physical sunscreens like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. This type of sunscreen can also be used for ears and lips.

Products that use chemical sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octioxate are often not recommended by experts because they can cause skin irritation, contact dermatitis, itching, or rash. red.

Men often forget to put sunscreen on their ears. The lips, both men and women, often overlook. On the market today there are also lip balm or lip gloss that contain SPF, and experts recommend that you always use lip balm with sunscreen when outdoors to protect your lips.

SPF 30 or higher sunscreens combined with sunglasses are very useful tools to protect your eyes from UV rays as well as lip balm with SPF. Experts also suggest that some brands have good sun protection products like Avene, Eos and Aquaphor.

What about protecting the head area in general? The hat is simple and easy to implement. Brands like Columbia, Coolibar, and Tilley actually produce hats made from fabric that protect against ultraviolet rays. In addition, people with bald or sparse hair should apply spray sunscreen to the scalp.

Use SPF 30 or higher sunscreen every day for face, neck and ears. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, regardless of the level of sun protection in the sunscreen you use or when the person is wet, for example when swimming or sweating.

In general, a high SPF is better because most people do not apply enough sunscreen. Sunscreens like lotions or creams are often used on the face area, and sprays are easier to use for the whole body.

Note for you

Research has shown that people who use high sunscreen moisturizers often forget sun protection for sun-sensitive areas such as lips, eyelids and ears than those who use sunscreen. system.

Dermatologists believe that bypassing these sensitive skin areas may increase the risk of skin cancer. If you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher on your face, ears and reapply every two hours.

There are many lip balm, lip gloss and lip balm products with a high SPF. Wear a hat to protect your scalp, especially if you have thinning hair.