Patients are beginning to be aware that skin cancer is the cancer that has increased the most in incidence in recent years and that the most important factor in the development of skin cancer and melanoma is sun exposure. The change in attitude that I have seen in the parents of my patients is remarkable. At this time of the year there is not a parent who does not ask me about what photoprotection to use for their children. However, this changes in my teenage patients, for whom it is often more important to get a tan now than to prevent melanoma tomorrow or wrinkles 20 years from now.
The recommended photoprotection will depend on skin type: fair skin that never tans needs a higher protection index than tanned skin. Today, the minimum protection index recommended is 30.
The texture of the sunscreen
When choosing a sunscreen, the first thing that should be important is that it provides adequate protection, i.e. that it is a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Once this has been ensured, we must choose the most suitable texture according to the application site, the type of skin, the activity to be performed outdoors and the patient’s age. To cite a few examples: it is not the same to apply a photoprotector on hairy areas as on hairless skin; acne-prone skin will require photoprotectors that are not greasy; if intense activity is to be performed in water, the photoprotector must be water-resistant; if a protector is to be applied to the face and sweating is expected, it must not be irritating to the eyes; in children it must be especially resistant to water and friction.
The pleasant texture is a decisive factor in favoring adherence to treatment. In my daily practice, when I ask teenagers why they do not apply photoprotector, some answer that they do not see the importance or the need, but many others do not apply it because it is too “sticky”; because they do not like to look “like a mummy”; they are bothered by the sand sticking to them; they do not like the smell.
The new oil textures and the new dry touches coming from Brazil are the big news this season. I think the oil textures give a silky finish to the skin which is especially nice for the body. On the other hand, the dry touch finishes make you hardly notice that a sunscreen has been applied. The dry touch finishes are very suitable for the face. A greasy appearance on the face is not very cosmetic and, as I mentioned earlier, many sunscreens that we apply on the forehead, when we sweat, slip into the eyes and cause irritation. The new oil textures are very suitable for the body, arms and legs.
However, the same can be used although there are textures that are more suitable for the face (dry, fluid touches) and others for the body. Formats and presentations are also important. For the face we may be interested in a smaller format, which we can always carry with us, and for the body we will need larger formats or more convenient forms of application. We may also be interested in a more covering texture for application at home and a texture such as a spray that is more convenient for reapplication while we are exposed to the sun.