Debunking Sun Protection Myths with Dr. Nazanin Saedi

In honor of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we are collaborating with leaders in the sun safe community throughout the month to further our mission to prevent skin cancer & share the importance of sun safe habits.

Cabana Life is passionate about sun protection, & to give you the best information, we reached out to experts in the field, our favorite dermatologists! We are so excited to feature Dr. Nazanin Saedi. She is a Board Certified Dermatologist at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting & a clinical associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University. You can find her practice @daopmderm on Instagram & @daopmderm on Facebook. Read below to debunk sun protection myths with Dr. Naz.

“SPF makeup is enough to protect my face.”

The sunscreen in make up is not regulated by the FDA because make up is a cosmetic product. I often tell patients that it is not necessarily the SPF that it’s labeled.

“You don’t need sunscreen indoors or in a car.”

You need sunscreen every day. The sun can still come in through the windows of the car. If you take a look at people who drive a lot, they have much more sundamage on the left side that on the right side. Also after driving, we then have to get out of the car to get to our desired location. That’s more than enough to warrant sunscreen.

“Sun damage isn’t possible on windy, cloudy, or cool days.”

Clouds only block approximately 20% of UV rays. We see a ton of sunburns on cloudy days because people think they don’t need to wear sunscreen.

“Sunscreen works better than covering up with hats, umbrellas, sun-protective clothing, etc.”

Honestly it’s best to do them all together! Use sunscreen, wear some protective clothing, wear a hat & try to stay in the shade.

"My clothing will protect me from the sun. "

Clothing does not have enough sun protective factor to protect you from the sun. There are clothing lines (like Cabana Life!) out now that have UPF – which is ultraviolet light protective factor.

"You cannot tan while wearing sunscreen."

You can still get a tan while you’re wearing sunscreen. However, wearing sunscreen will delay getting a sunburn.

“All sunscreen is waterproof.”

All sunscreen is not waterproof. Sunscreen is actually labeled as water resistant. There are some sunscreens that are 40 minutes water resistant & others that are 80 minutes water resistant. I tell my patients that when they’re going to be in the water, they need to reapply more frequently.

"Sunscreen never expires."

Sunscreen definitely expires. Check the date on your bottle. You shouldn’t have any left over from the year prior!

"All sunscreen is the same. "

All sunscreens are not the same & they’re not all equal. It’s important to look at the ingredients that make up the sunscreen. Sunscreen can be divided into chemical blockers or physical blockers. The chemical blockers absorb the UV rays. Physical blockers reflect UV rays. Learn more about sunscreen from Dr. Zeitany on our blog.

“I thought that fake tans can help protect skin from the sun.”

Fake tans do not protect you from the sun & you can still get a sunburn. It’s important to wear sunscreen even with a fake tan.

"Only people who go outdoors a lot & tan get skin cancer. "

There are forms of skin cancer that don’t require extensive sun exposure. And some forms of skin cancer come from a few bad sunburns.

What is the worst myth you have heard? And why is it dangerous?

The WORST myth is that it is good to get a baseline tan before you go on vacation before you go to the beach. A tan is a sign of damage to your skin & it is NOT a good sign. Never a good idea to get a tan prior to vacation. The tan will NOT protect you from further sunburns!!!

We always trust the professionals when it comes to sun protection! We hope these tips help you to enjoy the sunshine while staying protected from UV rays.

Look out for more Dermatologist Q&A's & follow our Skin Cancer Awareness Month campaign on Facebook & Instagram.