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Essential beauty tip #1: Always put sunscreen on your face!
“Many consider this the absolute best thing a person can do for ani-aging,” says Dr. Miriam Hanson, board certified dermatologist and cosmetic expert in Austin, Texas. But are there other areas that shouldn’t ignored? Are there other signs of aging that can be avoided?
Although recommended by dermatologists, patients will often question if they really need to put sunscreen on their hands. Well…here are the top 3 reasons why:
1. Hands are an important part of the body, and go through a lot of stress in activities such as regular washing, dealing with chemicals or irritants, or just the constant stress of daily life. “You have to recognize, the hands are always exposed,” says Dr. Adam Mamelak, board certified dermatologist and skin cancer expert at Sanova Dermatology. “The skin on the hands gets more sun than many to other parts of the body.” If you are fair skinned, it’s especially important to put sunscreen on your hands because you run a higher risk of developing actinic keratosis. This disease causes scaly lesions that are not malignant but, if left untreated, can develop into skin cancer.
2. Discoloration is another risk you face when not putting sunscreen on your hands. This discoloration can range from getting additional moles on your hands to actual pigmentation changes with spots that can be anywhere from brown, tan, bluish, or black to red, pink, or flesh-toned. “They hands are one of the tell tale signs of aging,” says Dr. Hanson. “The discoloration may not be cancerous, but it significantly changes the appearance of your hands and often makes patients self-conscious.” Dr. Hanson notes that these are the reasons why hand rejuvenation procedures are now becoming so popular.
3. Skin cancer is without a doubt the most serious consequence of neglecting your hands, and the most important reason to treat them with sunscreen. Malignant Melanoma is a very aggressive form of skin cancer and although it has almost 100% success rate if treated early enough. At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s always best to avoid cancer. Be diligent in watching changes in your skin, specifically new moles that could be an early sign of skin cancer.
Your hands are precious and should be treated with as much love and care as the rest of your body. When you are in the sun, be sure to protect your hands just as much as every other part of your body.
To learn more about how to protect and rejuventate your skin, please contact us at Sanova Dermatology today.
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