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Will getting a base tan prevent me from a sunburn?

The summer season officially begins on Thursday, and with that, we asked Dr. Comilla Sasson to clear up some myths when it comes to sun tans.
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The summer season officially begins on Thursday, and with that, we asked Dr. Comilla Sasson to clear up some myths when it comes to sun tans and skin health.

1) Getting a base tan will help me not burn. FICTION

There is no benefit to trying to go out and get a base tan before you go on your next vacation. Researchers from the UK took healthy adults and had them "tan" their buttocks to see how much additional protection this would give an area that does not normally see a whole lot of sunlight. The additional "benefit" of the base tan ended up being very little.

Essentially, it was like getting an spf 2 sunblock on, so about 10 extra minutes in the sun. In reality, the extra sun exposure did not really provide any significant benefits and just increased the amount of time people were in the sun. Tanning beds are an even worse solution, as there have been numerous studies to show that they definitely increase the chances of developing skin cancers. So, skip the base tan and bring on the sunscreen!

2) Heat exhaustion only happens when the temps are in the 90+ range. Not necessarily.

Heat exhaustion happens when the body temperature goes above the normal 98.6 degrees. Symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, sweating profusely, rising core body temperature, feeling weak. When the body temperature goes above 103 degrees, that is when heat stroke occurs. The person will stop sweating, the body starts to shut down, can pass out, and the heart rate starts to increase.

How your body feels heat is dependent on a lot of factors. Humidity, medications a person may be taking, how well hydrated they are, and the amount of time in the sun can also affect a person's chance of getting heat exhaustion and heat stroke. For example, if the humidity is 80% and the air temperature is 85 degrees, it will feel like it is 97 degrees. On hotter days, stay in the shade, stay hydrated, keep putting on sunscreen/sunblock, stay in air conditioned areas if possible.

3) SPF 70 is better than SPF 30. Not really.

There are two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. he UVB rays are what sunblock is best at protecting from. SPF 15 will block about 94% of UVB, SPF 30 will block 97% of rays, SPF 45 will block 98% of rays. So doubling the SPF will not really block that much more. Definitely, use at least SPF 30, and don't forget the hats and protective clothing (long pants/shirts).

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