With Britain experiencing an abnormally dull summer, many Britons have fallen victim to common sunburn myths.
Due to the lack of the typical heat wave this year, many bottles of sunscreen have remained untouched and the factor 50 bottle has been completely thrown away.
But giving in to such misconceptions can, according to experts, cause permanent damage to the skin and seriously harm your health.
To help people stay safe in the sun, Dr. Hamdan Abudllah Hamed, a board-certified dermatologist, debunked five of the most common sunscreen myths.
Britain has had a particularly dull summer this year, but the absence of the sun has left many Britons falling victim to common sunburn myths
A common belief is that you don’t need to wear sunscreen on cloudy days or indoors.
Speak with Paying too muchDr. Hamed explained: ‘While the intensity may be lower than that of direct sunlight, UV rays can still penetrate clouds and even glass.
“It is recommended to wear SPF consistently, even when the weather seems less sunny.”
For those who still want to get a tan in the summer, forget the common myth that you can’t tan yourself while wearing sunscreen.
Dr. Hamad explained that while sunscreen can help protect against UV rays, it cannot block them completely.
He said: ‘Some UV rays can still penetrate and cause your skin to produce melanin, the pigment responsible for tanning.
SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UV rays when applied thoroughly. This means that about 7% of the rays penetrate your skin. SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 50 blocks 98% of the rays.’
This means that you can still tan despite wearing sunscreen, even though the amount of tanning may be less.
Another common belief among sunbathers is that a base color ensures that you burn less quickly.
Because of this, many holidaymakers strive to tan, under the mistaken belief that this will protect them from the sun.
According to an expert dermatologist, most makeup brands don’t contain enough SPF on their own to protect against skin damage
But dr. Hamed said: ‘A basic tanner only provides protection equivalent to about SPF 2-4, which is not enough to prevent skin damage. In fact, a tan itself is a sign of skin damage caused by UV radiation.
Whether you are tanned or not, you should always take precautions to protect yourself from the sun, including wearing plenty of sunscreen.
According to Dr. Hamed, another common myth is that you don’t need to wear sunscreen if you wear makeup that has SPF in it.
Many Brits slather themselves in sunscreen but skip the last layer of protection by applying sunscreen to their face.
But the skin expert said makeup by itself isn’t enough to protect against sun damage because it usually doesn’t contain as much SPF as needed to prevent skin damage.
He said, “Because of this, it’s important to apply a sunscreen with adequate SPF under any makeup you wear, even if the makeup contains SPF.”
Another common myth that some overly cautious holidaymakers fall victim to is that they think you’re only protected from the sun if you wear factor 50 sunscreen.
Although sunscreens with a higher factor offer more protection, the expert said the difference is only small.
He explained, “SPF 50 blocks about 98% of UV rays, which is only 1% more than SPF 30 which blocks about 97%.”
According to the expert, no sunscreen can provide complete protection against skin damage, so you need to take further steps to stay safe.
To protect yourself against UV radiation, Dr. Hamed advised people to take the following steps:
- Check the UV index regularly
- Find shade and limit sun exposure
- Wear protective clothing
- Leave plenty of time for your sunscreen to absorb