New Information You Need on Sun Protection

A medical study, published this week in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows that no sun exposure (or sun avoidance) is a health risk factor and that melanoma, when it occurs, is more serious in patients who avoid the sun completely. This is not a total surprise, as we have long known that sun is required for vitamin D activation and other immune-related functions.

The study supports our recommendation at Kay Plastic Surgery that sunscreens be applied just before sun exposure (and not 30-60 minutes before as was previously suggested) to allow a period of unblocked sun needed for vitamin D metabolism.

These findings do not counter the evidence that too much sun creates premature aging of the skin, and that a long history of completely unprotected exposure or sunburn does increase the risk of skin cancer.

Conclusion? Like most other health issues, the message here is all things in moderation. Extremes of behavior create risk.