Dr. Lupin on summer-savvy skin care

What you need to know.  By Jennifer Blyth, Black Press - Beautiful You Edition

As we climb out of the depths of winter, the lure of the sun’s warmth can be wonderfully tempting.

And indeed, a little - as a vehicle for vitamin D to make its way into our bodies - is good for us.  But too much can cause premature aging and raise the concern of skin cancer.

“While some sun is good, too much can be harmful,” explains Dr. Mark Lupin, of Oak Bay’s Cosmedica.  “Beyond sunburns, excessive sun or tanning leads to premature aging of the skin - a wrinkled appearance and skin sagginess.  Brown age spots can be triggered by the sun as well as light-sensitive conditions such as melasma, a brown discolouration on the face.  Blood vessels may appear in part due to damage to the collagen.  And there is a significantly increased risk of developing precancerous spots called actinic keratoses and skin cancers.”

So, how do you walk the line between enough and too much?

“Like most things, balance is key.  It is important to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen - meaning one that protects against the tanning UVA rays as well as the burning UVB rays,” Lupin explains, advising people to choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and to reapply every two to four hours, as most sunscreens do not last longer than this. 

After the fact, medical grade anti-oxidant creams, such as Revaléskin, are available to help reverse some sun-damage that may have happened during the day.  “Such creams are often best used in the evenings and can also help hydrate the skin,” Lupin says.

In addition, lasers such as the Revlite can be used to treat individual brown spots while lasers such as the Gemini can safely treat unwanted blood vessels, both red and blue.  For a comprehensive approach, the Fraxel laser treats many elements of sun-damaged skin, including premature wrinkles, brown spots and precancerous lesions.  Photodynamic therapy is an office procedure that is useful to treat precancerous spots and with less downtime than prescription creams, Lupin says.

While prevention is the best medicine, diligent monitoring is also recommended.

“Regular monitoring of your skin both at home once a month and by your physician at your regular physical is important to help detect any early evidence of skin cancer.”

So, what’s new in skin care?

While “there have been wonderful advancements in technology to help reverse damages caused by the sun,” in Canada there is no regulation as to who can operate many of these technologies, Lupin says, advising that “because safety is of obvious importance, check with your family physician or a dermatologist before embarking on any elective aesthetic procedure.”

Finally, “while a lot has been written on vitamin D and the beneficial aspects of the sun, we have to keep in mind that there is an increased incidence of skin cancers, of which many are preventable by judicious sun protection,” Lupin says.

“Sunscreens screen - they do not block the sun.  We only need about 10 minutes of sun two to three times per week on an area such as the face or hands to maximize our vitamin D from the sun - more is not better,” Lupin concludes.

“Enjoy the sun but do it with care.”