Contrary to conventional wisdom, ‘sun is good,’ dermatologist says; sunburns, on the other hand…

Skin cancer can and does kill thousands of Americans each year, said Dr. Daniel Aires, director of Dermatology at Kansas University Hospital. It's important to follow some basic guidelines to protect yourself.

The belief that all sun is bad is antiquated — in fact, it’s important to get some sun to stay healthy, according to the director of Dermatology at Kansas University Hospital.

However, Dr. Daniel Aires said, sunburns and indoor tanning ought to be avoided entirely because they’re the two biggest controllable risk factors for skin cancer.

“People think, ‘Oh, it’s just skin,’ but skin cancers can and do kill thousands of Americans every year,” he said.

When the bugs bite…

Fun fact: A single oak tree can drop 1 million mites over a four-day period, said Dr. Daniel Aires, director of Dermatology at Kansas University Hospital.

Everyone’s favorite oak leaf itch mites survived the mild winter in Lawrence, and they’re already back and biting with a vengeance.

Another fun fact: The mites are actually hoping to land on another bug, Aires said. When they land on us, it’s an accident. Their bites are annoying, nonetheless.

“Stay away from oak trees — it’s probably best to avoid them,” Aires said.

Unfortunately, that may be easier said than done. For itchy bites, Aires recommends using a tiny amount of a topical steroid just once or twice directly on the bite itself, not on the surrounding skin. He said it can help reduce the itch and it doesn’t have the kind of systemic effect that an antihistamine can have.

Spider bites, on the other hand, are a different story. Bad ones, such as those from a brown recluse, can cause local tissue death.

If the center of a bite begins to turn black or an open sore develops, that’s a good sign that you need to seek medical treatment, Aires said. Other systemic symptoms, such as severe pain, cramps, or a growing ulcer are signs that it’s time to get a bite checked out.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient, and the best source of it is sunlight. But there is a delicate balance between enough sunlight and a dangerous amount of it. That’s why Aires recommends sunscreen for prolonged exposure to sunlight but not everyday use, for most people.

He said his advice is “a little bit unusual,” but “the most important parts of the body to protect from the chronic sun damage are the face and the hands. So I really like my patients to wear hats, ideally hats with a brim.”

So for casual sun exposure, such as taking your dog for a walk, Aires says to go ahead and wear short sleeves and short pants.

“When you look at the sun protective clothing in the public mind it’s long sleeves, but actually that’s not what it should be. It should be hats,” he said.

“… If you’re going to need a biopsy on a funny mole, it’s a lot better to have that funny mole biopsied on your arm than it is on your cheek, or for that matter the back of the hand,” which is why Aires recommends golfers wear gloves.

He also recommends sunglasses to prevent long-term damage to the eyes, and don’t forget to protect your pucker.

“Skin cancers on the lip are very dangerous, so if people can wear a lip protector with SPF, that’s really helpful,” he said, noting that some cosmetics can fit that bill.

On the other hand, long-term exposure is very different.

“It’s this real distinction that I draw between the intense, at-the-lake-sunburn sun exposure and the everyday, no-big-deal, not-gonna-burn sun exposure,” Aires said, “and they call for really different responses.”

Aires said for those who plan to spend the day fishing, for example, it’s best to use a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide. It is a physical blocker, so unlike other chemical formulas that absorb into the skin and break down with time and sun exposure, it remains effective as long as it stays on your skin.

The downside to zinc is that it’s very visible on the skin. Although it’s highly unlikely that the fish will care what you have on your face, Aires said, most people object to the way it looks if they plan to be in a more social setting.

So for occasions such as beach parties, Aires said he’d recommend people use “whatever they find tolerable” — some sunscreen is better than no sunscreen. When you’re browsing the shelves at the drugstore, though, the massive collections can be overwhelming.

Here are some tips to make a good choice for yourself:

Tips for choosing the right sunscreen

• Don’t fall into the SPF trap: Aires said people often get a false sense of security applying sunscreens that tout SPF 100 on the bottles. No matter what the number is, it’s still not safe to go sit out in the sun all day.

• “Waterproof” is questionable. Sunscreens that claim to be waterproof probably are less so than people believe, Aires said, so always reapply after swimming.

• Stay off the spray-ons. Spray-on sunscreens in general “don’t actually provide terribly good coverage,” Aires said.

• Think about your own skin. For those who suffer from acne or other skin conditions, it may take some experimenting to figure out what kind of sunscreen works for you. However, Aires said, hats are still a good bet.

The bottom line is, whatever sunscreen suits you best, protect your skin from long-term sun exposure. May 2 was “Melanoma Monday” at the hospital, and Aires said doctors found many concerns in the 200 skin cancer screenings they performed.

“It’s kind of astonishing how many people are walking around with concerning lesions that they’re not aware of,” Aires said.

He recommends people keep an eye out for the ABCDs of spotting suspicious moles: A for asymmetry; B for border irregularity; C for colors, meaning more than two colors; D for diameter greater than a pencil eraser, or approximately one-quarter inch; and some say E for evolving or changing. Those are all signs that you may want to see a doctor.

Above all else, Aires said it’s best for people to learn to love the skin they’re in — don’t try to burn yourself to a different shade.