Missed a Spot! - These are the Areas You're Probably Not Protecting from the Sun

It’s hot. It’s sunny. And while it feels great to get outside, it’s important to remind ourselves to protect our vulnerable skin from damaging UV rays. UVA rays are the ‘aging rays’, contributing to tanning, brown spots, rough and bumpy skin texture, skin thinning, collagen breakdown and wrinkles. UVB rays are the ‘burn rays’ that cause sunburn and non-melanoma skin cancers. And both types of rays can induce melanoma, a potentially lethal form of skin cancer whose incidence is on the rise in younger people, but which is treatable if caught early.

Minimizing exposure to dangerous UV rays includes:

·      Seeking shade during peak sun hours (10am-4pm in the summer months)

·      Sporting protective clothing with more coverage, and preferably a UPF 30+ rating

·      Wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shades your scalp, face, ears and neck

·      Choosing sunglasses with larger, darker, UV-protective lenses for daily use

·      Applying a layer of broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30+ daily to all exposed skin

Research has shown that daily sun protection does reduce the incidence of skin damage and skin cancer. But even if you are diligent about wearing sunscreen every day, there are some common spots that people just forget to protect. And it is in those very areas that dermatologists see the most sun damage and new skin cancers popping up.

Here are some of those oft-neglected areas listed from head to toe, including why we forget them and how we can better protect them.

SCALP – If you don’t have much hair on top, then you know that you need to be covering up when outside in the daytime (walking, exercising, driving with the top down). But exposed part-lines, thinning areas and even the frontal hairlines leave unsuspecting scalps unprotected and at an increased risk for sunburn. If you don’t want to apply a sunscreen lotion to your head/hair or extend your face sunscreen into your hairline, try a matte sunscreen scalp spray or brush-on mineral sunscreen powder. And of course, tossing on a hat will block those rays from hitting your head altogether.

EARS – Did you know that the tops of the ears are one of the most common places to find sun damage and skin cancers? They naturally angled to have direct exposure to overhead sunlight on a daily basis. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to them every day if you have short hair or wear your hair pulled back in a ponytail. Better yet, wear a hat with a wide brim (at least 3 inches) that throws shade on your face, neck and ears. And baseball caps don’t count! (their brim barely provides coverage for your nose, let alone the back of your neck and your ears!)

EYES and THE SKIN AROUND THEM – UV rays reach the eyeballs directly, and also reflect off of concrete, sand, water (and snow/ice), leaving your unprotected eyes at risk for direct and indirect UV damage all day. And because people are afraid to get stinging sunscreen in their eyes, they tend to confine their sunscreen application to their upper cheeks, nose and forehead, skipping the delicate skin around the eyes, the eyelids, eyebrows and temples. It is not rare to develop skin cancers on the eyelids and nasal bridge and pre-cancerous growths on the sensitive skin around the eyes and brows. If you are afraid to get any closer with your chemical or mineral sunscreens, be sure to wear a pair of dark tinted, UV-protective, larger-lensed (preferably wraparound style) sunglasses to minimize UV rays reaching the area.

LIPS – Lips are very thin-skinned and don’t have protective melanin, making them at risk for sun damage and skin cancer. Skin cancers of the lip can be particularly dangerous, as they can spread easily to local blood vessels and tissue, and treatment can be very disfiguring. Men with moustaches are lucky because that tuft of hair that projects outward protects not only the upper white lip skin, but the pink upper lip and even the lower pink lip to some degree. Without that hair protection, the upper white lip (think smoker’s lines) and the bottom lip (which juts out at rest and when talking) tend to get the brunt of the sun exposure and sun damage. For women, a highly pigmented, opaque lipstick acts as a pretty good sunblock. For those who prefer a more natural look, swipe on a lip balm or chapstick with an SPF15+, and re-apply after eating/drinking (or kissing…).

NECK and CHEST – Nobody remembers their neck… Whether its cleansing, removing makeup or applying daily sunscreen. The skin on your neck is thin and sensitive, and the front and sides are always exposed to the sun when you are driving. If you are someone with a shorter hairstyle or wears their hair up in a ponytail, the back of your neck is left unprotected, too. Your decolletage and chest will show signs of aging even earlier than your face, and lower cut shirts, open collars and bathing suits leave it open to sun-exposure on the reg. Consider your neck and chest an extension of your face, and use your same meticulous skin care routine on them, too. Especially sunscreen. Worried that the greasy lotions will mess up your clothes? Throw a scarf over your chest while driving, let your hair hang down, and consider applying a UV-protective coating to your driver side window.

HANDS – While you may be super-careful to protect your face from premature age spots and wrinkles, the skin on your hands will give away your age every time! Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to the backs of your hands when you apply it to your face. If you wash your hands frequently, keep a back-up tube of sunscreen in your purse and car for re-application. Afraid you might wipe the sunscreen into your eyes or mouth? Try wearing UV protective fingerless gloves or sleeves when driving or at the beach.

FEET – The tops of the feet are not used to seeing sun year-round, so suddenly sporting flip flops at the first hint of summer or walking barefoot in the sand puts them at risk for sunburn. Because sunscreen creams can make you slip and slide in your sandals or let messy sand stick to your feet, choose a quick-absorbing sport gel or mattifying lotion or even a spray sunscreen, stick to the tops of your feet, and give it a chance to dry before shoeing up (or down at the beach!)