Daily Sunscreen Use Slows The Aging Process

Please tweet and retweet Tweet

It has been common knowledge for a number of years that regular sunscreen application prevents skin cancer and the FDA changed the allowed labeling on the counters so they can state this. A study published earlier this month in Annals of Internal Medicine now shows it also slows the aging process.

Researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical in Australia looked at a group of 900 young and middle-aged, mostly fair skinned men and women under age 55 (to factor out the contribution of genetic aging) that were randomly divided into 2 groups. The first group applied SPF15+ sunscreen to their faces, necks, hands and arms daily. The second group used sunscreen either rarely, or not at all, discretionary sunscreen group. Silicone impressions were taken from the backs of all participants’ hands, at the beginning and then again at the end of the study, 4 1/2 years after it began. Roughly half of the participants worked primarily outdoors, while about four in 10 were regular smokers. The daily sunscreen group showed no detectable increase in skin aging during the course of the study, according to microtopography measures. The visual appearance of aging skin wrinkles from beginning to the end of the study was 24% less in the daily sunscreen group than in the discretionary sunscreen group.

Each group was divided in half again to receive a 30mg beta-carotene supplement or a placebo on a daily basis. The supplement did not affect skin aging in this study. The take home message is that daily sunscreen application can prevent skin cancer, keep you younger looking longer and you are never too young to start applying it. Furthermore, daily sunscreen application does more for you than taking some daily supplements that are believed to be good for your skin.

Suntanning, Tanning, Sunscreens
The Dangers of Sun Exposure
Dr. Aaron Stone - Plastic Surgeon Los Angeles
Dr. Stone's Twitter
       

Suntanning, Tanning, Sunscreens

Please tweet and retweet Tweet

During the Victorian era pasty white skin color was in vogue. Tanned bronze skin was popularized by fashion designer Coco Chanel in the 1920s. During World War II troops stationed in the south Pacific suffered from sun exposure and were then issued white skin cream (zinc oxide) for protection from the sun. These early sunscreens were heavy, greasy and opaque (easily visible after application). They also stained clothing. In the 1970s the FDA began to approve specific substances for use by manufacturers in sunscreens. These can be divided into 2 groups:
1-chemical sunscreens that react with sunlight converting it into heat to decrease damage (benzophenone, homosalate, methyl anthranilate, octyl methoxycinnamate, oxybenzone, avobenzone)
2-physical sunscreens that reflect the sunlight (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, kaolin, ichthammol, iron oxide).

The physical sunscreens are more chemically stable and have less risk of causing skin contact sensitivity.