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This Year, Add “Sunscreen” to Your New Year’s Resolution

  • Posted on: Jan 15 2020
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UV Rays | new york, nyIt’s January, which means it’s the start of a brand new year. And what better way to start the year fresh than with a simple resolution that hardly takes any effort. As you’re creating your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t forget to add sunscreen to your daily skincare routine. The reasons are plentiful, but the most important boil down to just a few abbreviations: UVB and UVA.

It’s easy to remember sunblock during the summer because those painful sunburns are caused by ultraviolet B-rays. And with an immediate consequence, it’s easy to remember to pack around a bottle as you hit the beach. They are also the greatest cause of skin cancers, including malignant melanoma, the black mole form of skin cancer.

UVB rays decrease during winter months, but ultraviolet A-rays do not. And it’s UVA rays that can cause more long-term damage to your skin, like wrinkles, accelerated aging, and even skin cancer. That’s because UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, and there are approximately 500 more UVA rays than UVB rays.

On top of all that, the Earth’s ozone layer is at its thinnest during winter months, and it’s this layer that acts as the planet’s shield from the sun. Plus, the beautiful white snow on the ground can reflect sunlight up to 90 percent. Being right in between a screenless atmosphere and a reflective ground, that puts you right in the middle of a skin cancer warzone.

So, while it may be easy to brush off the importance of sunscreen protection all year long, it’s vital to keep your skin safe from long-term damage every day. When picking out your daily sunscreen, be sure to choose one that is at least SPF 30, is water-resistant, and is a broad spectrum to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. The most important times of the day to wear sunscreen is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are strongest. Please feel free to come by our NYC dermatologist office to pick up free ELTA MD samples at the front desk and learn about different lotions, sprays and aerosols.

To learn even more about skincare and how you can keep a fresh face all year long, schedule an appointment with Dr. Barry Goldman at our New York office today.

Posted in: Cosmetic Dermatology, Skin Cancer