The hidden ways you incur sun damage

"But, I always use sunscreen!" she exclaimed.

However, the smattering of freckles covering her chest, shoulders, backs, arms, and face told a very different story.

"The moment I get to the beach, on goes the SPF 50. Every time!"

I asked how frequently she reapplied.

"Well, it's SPF 50, so... I figure it protects me all day." False.

Then I asked about her sunscreen application during the winter.

"There's SPF 15 in my make-up, but I'm never outdoors-- I go straight from my house, to my car, to my office, and back again. The sun never even touches me." Again, false.

This perky 25 year old girl-- who was covered in sun spots and freckles-- innocently thought that she was protecting herself from the sun. However, it is easy to under-estimate the far-reaching effects of the wiliest of skin foes...

For years, dermatologists have been telling patients to wear sunscreen in order to prevent against premature aging and skin cancer. However, this advice is often not 100% followed, for a multitude of reasons. 

First, the negative effects of the sun don't occur immediately, so it is easy to shirk the responsibilities of proper sun protection. Especially considering that we live with an ever present cultural message that dictates a tan equals beautiful, it is understandable why young people bypass the exact steps needed to protect themselves against the sun. 

Secondly, sunscreens can be confusing! Even people with good intentions of protecting themselves from the sun are often mislead by sunscreen labels. Those that wear sunscreen, usually only apply when they are actively sunbathing, thereby ignoring the sun damage incurred on a day-to-day basis. Also, sunscreen is usually applied too sparingly, and not reapplied frequently enough to provide continuous protection.

The allure of sunscreens with a high SPF can also be misleading. While those in the industry know that there is no significant benefit to using anything over an SPF 30, consumers often assume that the higher the SPF-- the more protection they are getting, for a longer time period. Because of this, those using higher SPFs also do not usually reapply as often as needed. 

Lastly, people are often unaware that they are being exposed to UVA rays even when they are indoors, or inside a car. UVA rays can penetrate windows... even some tinted ones. 

Bottom line: regardless of the season, or where you are, if there is sunlight hitting your skin, you are incurring sun damage. (Just a quick refresher course; sun damage is the #1 cause of premature aging, including deep wrinkles, furrows, coarsening of the skin's texture, skin discoloration, sun spots, and the potentially fatal effects of skin cancer.) 

Applying and reapplying sunscreen all year long might seem like a pain, but freckles are only cute to a certain age, and then you just look... old. Fortunately, you have a choice in how you handle the biggest, most damaging foe to your skin-- hopefully you make the most of it.