It’s the season of scorching summer rays and awkward sunburns, which means people are generally more cognizant of putting on sunscreen when they go outside.
But if you’re not lathering up enough at the beach or by the pool, you’re likely to get sun damage in a few places ― even some surprising ones. HuffPost spoke with experts about where you’re most likely to get sun damage, and what you can do to prevent it.
You’re most likely to get sun damage on your head and neck.
“Sun-exposed areas ― which often are the head and neck ― [are] where the majority of all skin cancers occur,” Orit Markowitz, associate professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai told HuffPost. “Other common areas are the hair line, lips and ears ― places where people do not always remember to cover with sunscreen.
″Interestingly, most sun exposure is in fact incidental to daily life; those short intervals when we are unprotected are responsible for a significant portion of the sun damage we accumulate over a lifetime, maybe even more than the times when we go to the beach (when typically we remember to apply sun screen),” Karin Hermoni, a category manager at Lycored who holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, told HuffPost.
People are most likely to under-apply protection to the chest and the shoulders.
“I think people don’t pay that much attention to the chest and the shoulders,” dermatologist Jennifer A. Stein from the Ronald O. Perelman department of dermatology at NYU Langone, told HuffPost.
“Oftentimes in the summer, women especially are wearing bikinis and tank tops because it’s hot and they want to wear less clothing and they wind up with quite a bit of damage on the chest and the shoulders,” Stein said.
This is particularly damaging, because the skin on your chest is similar to the skin on your face. And one of the main causes of chest wrinkles women see later in life is years of sun damage.
“The sun hits directly on the chest and has a skin-thinning effect,” dermatologist Jeannette Graf told the New York Times.
Protective clothing is the best defense against sun damage.
According to Stein, there are several very effective ways to prevent sun damage (such as sunscreen, sitting in the shade, and avoiding the rays in the middle of the day), but the most effective solution is wearing protective clothing.
“Clothing works so much better than sunscreen, especially for the tops of shoulders and for the chest, Stein said. ”[People] make all sorts of sun protective clothing now, there’s rash guards, swim shirts, sun shirts, and you can get them at so many different places. ... [It] works much, much better than sunscreen.”
Even though Stein admits she was once nervous to wear the shirts in 90-degree weather, she said the shirts actually keep you very cool.
“If you’re at the beach and you get the swim shirt wet, you’ll be cool in it ― it’s like wearing a wet bathing suit,” she told HuffPost. “And then it’s so much less sunscreen to have to worry about, because if you’re wearing a long-sleeved swim shirt all you have to do is your face and backs of your hands, legs and you’re done.”
Markowitz warns that not all clothing is created equal. And just because you’re wearing a regular shirt, that doesn’t mean it’ll offer the same benefits as sun protective clothing.
“For example, a white cotton T-shirt has an apt of 15, meaning you begin to experience exposure after 15 minutes in the sun,” she told HuffPost.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer sunscreen or sun shirts, as long as you remember to protect yourself from the sun this summer.
These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
The HuffPost Lifestyle newsletter will make you happier and healthier, one email at a time. Sign up here.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.