Sunburn Protection Alert: You Are Not a Whale

by | Apr 15, 2019

If you’ve been Googling strategies for keeping your skin youthful, you may have come across the headlines touting, “Base Tan Prevents Sunburn”? If so, then you may have gotten the wrong idea about the best way to protect your skin from damaging UV rays. “Scientists have found that putting down a base tan protects whales’ skin,” says Dr Austin referring to a recent study “but it doesn’t work for humans.” For this reason, we offer a broad range of treatments to rejuvenate sun-damaged skin as well as products to prevent damage from happening.

Prescription for Beautiful Skin: Sunscreen For All

It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter whether you are pale as a ghost or swarthy. It doesn’t matter if you spent more time indoors or out. “Sunburn does more than damage skin. It can contribute to heatstroke, muscle cramps, and heat exhaustion,” warns Dr Austin.

A quality sunscreen helps you stay healthy as well as beautiful. Here’s how:

  • Decreases risk of skin cancer
  • Slows the development of leathery skin
  • Prevents facial brown spots
  • Adds an extra layer of protection against a diminishing ozone layer

“Parents can encourage their children to develop good habits by making sun protection part of a daily routine for everyone,” says Dr Austin. Face & Body Sunscreen by allmedic is excellent for the entire family. It’s non-greasy and fragrance-free, but moisturising.

When the Sun Has Done a Number on You

“By the time most of us begin to worry about our skin, sun damage is already well underway,” observes Dr Austin. It may take years to reveal itself, but by the time you are 20, UV rays have but you at increased risk for:

  • Premature ageing
  • Reduced skin elasticity
  • Poor skin tone
  • Facial discolouration
  • Lines and wrinkles

“We have found that BBL Therapy (Broad Band Light) is especially effective for treating a variety of facial skin imperfections and combating signs of facial ageing,” says Dr Austin. “BBL is also useful for skin tightening.”

Where Humans & Whales Part Company

Researchers report that whales catch UV rays when they socialise with their mates on the surface of the water, sometimes for up to 8 hours. It’s not unlike humans, although we also get baked on the shore, too. Also like us, whales naturally develop pigments that darken and protect the skin. That’s where the similarities end.

Despite so much fun in the sun, researchers have found virtually no evidence of skin cancer in whales. How nice for them. At the same time, two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they’re 70 according to Cancer Council Australia. What do whales have that we don’t? Whales have different mechanisms to keep themselves safe,” Some whales are born with a gene that triggers a stress response in the skin and the natural ability to self-heal. Other whales develop a hard layer of skin to counteract the sun.

Face Up to Sun Damage

Would you like to know the best way to keep your skin safe in the sun? Are you excited to try a customised skincare program developed for you by skin experts? Would you like to stop worrying and let a professional put your mind at ease with a skin cancer check? If you have any questions about skin health and beauty, we invite you to contact us and schedule a visit.