Claris Group Advise on Skin Care in Winter

Claris Group specialise in affordable, high-quality skin cancer checks, and they are the creators of the $50 full body skin check, currently the most affordable and comprehensive skin check in NZ. Their vision, passion and dedication has expanded nationwide with their corporate skin checks and have plans to open more clinics across New Zealand.

Last month they posted an article on their website titled, Staying Sun Safe in the Winter, exposing that it is important to protect yourself from UV radiation even in the winter months. As they explain, cool, cloudy days are deceptive because we’re so used to associating sun damage with heat, but it’s when we’re unprepared that we’re at the highest risk.

A common misconception is that a sunburn obtained in the winter is due to ‘windburn’. However, as the article explains, this is incorrect – windburn is simply sunburn misattributed. Those spending weekends on mountain tops or skiing are at a higher risk of sun damage, due to the high altitude and sun reflection which makes UV light more intense. Combine this with the reflection of UV rays and strong wind and sweating that wears away sunscreen, and you have a recipe for a winter sunburn.

But sun safety is important even if you aren’t outside in the elements. Skin cancer is caused by accumulated sun damage that begins as soon as you are exposed to your first bad sun burn, usually in our youth, or even as early as childhood, and premature skin ageing and skin cancers experienced later in life are the result of a lifetime of sun exposure. At all times of the year you should choose a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen with a high SPF. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The number on the bottle represents the fraction of UV radiation that makes it past the product. For example, SPF 30 allows 1/30 of UV light through, and SPF 50 allows 1/50 through the sunscreen.

It takes 7 minutes in New Zealand or Australia to get sun burn, so multiplying the number next to SPF by the burning time gives you the total amount of time you are protected. SPF has 105 minutes of protection compared with 210 minutes with SPF 30 and 595 minutes with the SPF 85.

You should make it a habit to apply sunscreen after washing and moisturising in the morning, and don’t forget about your lips, and in the colder months, cover up and wear a hat, especially if you work outdoors or spend most of your day outside. Remember to wait at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun after applying your sun screen, and re-application every two hours is essential, as well as immediate after swimming or severe sweating even if the bottle status is water resistant.

Finally, they advise you keep on top of your health by going in for regular at least annual skin checks and at Claris Group, their services include full body mole mapping and comprehensive skin checks.

For more information on mole maps, mole checks and skin checks please go to http://claris.co.nz .