BELLEVILLE – As the weather heats up, a doctor at Belleville Memorial Hospital is reminding her patients about the importance of sun protection.
Dr. Angie Harris, a BJC Medical Group family medicine physician, encourages community members to prioritize sunscreen and protective clothing to avoid skin damage. She suggests starting with shorter stints in the sun instead of spending hours outside immediately following the dark winter months.
“We have long winters here. So when it starts to get warm and the sun’s out and we have longer days, you’ve got to kind of ease into it,” she said. “You can’t just go out there and stay out for hours having a cookout or whatever. You want to do 10 to 20 minutes, maybe a walk in the early morning or late afternoon, and then over the next few weeks, extend that time.”
This is one way to prepare your skin for more sun exposure. But of course, Harris noted, sunscreen is an important part of this. She reiterated that sunscreen is necessary for all skin tones.
She encourages people to wear sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher. Most sunscreens will say “broad spectrum,” which is what you want. You should apply sunscreen every two hours or sooner if you’re swimming. (Speaking of, Harris also encourages families to enroll their children in swimming lessons and teach basic water safety.)
As you apply sunscreen, Harris urges you to cover every inch of bare skin, including your hands, feet and scalp. She pointed out that Bob Marley died from skin cancer on his foot, and there can be serious repercussions if you don’t cover up — not to mention the “cute little sunburn when you take your sandals off” that most people would like to avoid.
To make sunscreen more effective and less irritating to your skin, Harris reminds people to moisturize. She has found that most adults simply skip moisturizing, but this isn’t a good idea.
“If you have dry skin and you apply sunscreen directly, you’re going to be irritated. You’re going to say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to use this,’ or, ‘I’m getting a rash,’” she explained. “I joke a lot, and I tell people that their mamas are not putting lotion on them anymore like when they were babies. Moms are always putting lotion on babies. I just think that they just don’t take the time to moisturize their skin.”
She also suggests covering bare skin with clothing. A hat with a brim can go a long way toward protecting your scalp and face.
Harris urges her patients to remember these tips as spring gives way to summer. Sun exposure can be dangerous, but there are a few easy ways to stay safe while enjoying the warmer weather.
“Being a physician, I have a lot of patients that come to the office and their skin is very, very, very dry and peeling and cracked. And I always tell them that that’s your first layer of protection against infection and anything else,” she added, emphasizing the importance of protecting your skin against sun exposure.
