Back toUpdated on October 22, 2024
Are you craving to soak up the summer sunshine? Dermatologist Dr. Doris Day has advice for you on what sunscreen to wear to protect yourself from premature skin aging, skin cancer, and psoriasis flare-ups.
Transcript
Summer is by far my favorite season. And I spend as much time as possible getting out and soaking up the sun.
The only problem is, it can really cause some psoriasis problems. Do you have any advice for me?
Absolutely I do. And I'm so glad to hear you love the summer. We all should. Summer is great. It's my favorite season too.
Generally, getting that vitamin D is pretty healthy for us. But there's better ways through supplements. And obviously, when we overdo it, our skin can get sunburned
and dried out. And that can cause some serious psoriasis flare ups, besides premature skin-aging and skin cancer.
So the best answer I have for you is probably one you've already thought of, sunscreen. Here's what I want you to do.
Whenever you go out, apply a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher with water resistance
and apply it over all your skin even the areas with psoriasis, any area that clothing doesn't cover. And make sure to reapply regularly.
You'll still get enough UV rays to help your psoriasis. And also keep in mind that sunscreen only goes so far,
so do what you can to get some shade time in too. The more time we're spending outdoors being active,
the more likely we are to get those annoying skin injuries, those nicks, cuts, and bug bites. And that type of skin damage can cause flare ups in some people.
So first, be careful. If you're really getting out into the wilderness, consider covering more of your body, like your legs,
in comfortable fabric to avoid scrapes and bug bites. And second, spend some time finding a bug spray that works really well for your skin
and then use it. But be careful, because bug spray and sunscreen don't always go well together. Finally, remember that when you're not out and about,
you'll often be in AC. And heavily air conditioned spaces tend to be dry which can really affect our skin if we're not
careful. So just look out for that and moisturize if needed. The nice thing about summer, which is what you seem to love about it too,
is that it gives us a little more freedom to get out and exercise and get some real outdoor stress relief, which is also an important part of fighting
that psoriasis. So please, don't hesitate to get out there and do those things you love. Just make sure that keeping your skin healthy is a part of it.
