Yubing Peng, Head of Dr.Pong Dermatologic and Aesthietic Clinic
My patients often ask me: “Doctor, on cloudy winter days the sun isn’t very strong. Do I still need to use sunscreen?”
My answer is always the same: Use sunscreen as soon as day breaks, for 365 days of the year.”
Effective sunblock has anti-oxidizing effects (decreases the amount of cells that suffer free radical oxidation from ultraviolet light) and it is also the best anti-aging method.
Ultraviolet light has three different kinds of light. Listed by energy levels from the strongest to the weakest: UVC, UVB, and UVA. Wavelength listed from the longest to the shortest: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
UVC rays hardly even reach the earth's surface.
UVB rays cause sunburn, redness, heat, and pain on the skin.
UVA rays cause tanning and photoaging on the skin.
Although the energy levels of ultraviolet rays vary during different seasons, but what we can be sure of is that ultraviolet rays are present all year round.
On cloudy and cold days, long-wavelength ultraviolet rays still irradiate human skin, causing tanning and photoaging.
If you are…
...suffering from skin problems such as liver spots, systemic lupus erythematosus, rosacea, or spots
...on antibiotics or taking retinoic acid medication
...undergoing cosmetic treatment such as microdermabrasion, chemical peeling, or radiation therapy.
If you are in any of these situations, it is especially important to make sunscreen your best friend.
Taiwan has an island climate. In addition to the effects of global warming, Taiwan has summer weather ten months out of the year.
As a dermatologist, I want to teach you smart anti-aging: as soon as day breaks, put on sunscreen.
