ist magazine July 2021

Industry Watchdog

VeryWell, Indeed By Joe Schuster notions as the popular, “sunbeds are more intense than the noonday sun.” Of course, it’s difficult (if not impos sible) to draw this correlation. There are hundreds of different sunbed types with a variety of different sunlamps – there is no “generic” tanning system. As well, the sun’s intensity at noon on a winter day in Minneapolis certainly isn’t the same as that of a clear, July afternoon on a beach in Jamaica! W hat better time to heat up the “to tan or not to tan” debate than the summer and a news source, verywell.com, jumped right into the fray. (verywellhealth.com/safe-sun-tips skin-cancer-awareness-month-5183976)

“Ultraviolet rays are invisible and are present in every season, so sun protection isn’t something that you should reserve for a summer beach day. On a cloudy day, up to 80% of UV exposure remains as compared to a sunny day. UVA light can also pass through windows, even when you are indoors or in your car.” OMG. Okay, it’s 7:30am, it’s raining, it’s day light and I sure don’t need a flashlight, but I need sunscreen? That’s your pru dent suggestion to the masses? One that everyone will find easy and be willing to follow? I think not. Now, let’s explore the next one – the notion of someone

They start with a decent, pragmatic suggestion to use SPF and be aware that UV intensity increases with rays that are reflected off snow in winter and water in summer. They could have added that UV intensity is also affected by altitude, time of day and time of year. Those factors also dispel such

martialred / Shutterstock.com

But then comes this nugget of wisdom: “Dermatologists often advise that if you don’t need a flashlight, you need sun screen,’’ says Noelle Sherber, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist in Washington, D.C.

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July 2021

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