Are we overdoing sun protection?

Is it possible that our obsession with sun protection is harming our health? Join Dr. Stefanie Williams, a dermatologist unafraid to challenge the status quo as she dives into the complex relationship between sun exposure, vitamin D, and overall well-being, questioning whether our stringent sun safety practices have cast a shadow over our health. With her wealth of expertise, she navigates the fine line between preventing skin damage and ensuring we don't miss out on the vital benefits of the sun.

Dr. Stefanie sheds light on maintaining optimal vitamin D levels amidst the haze of widespread sun avoidance. Her conversation invites listeners to rethink their approach to sun exposure, avoiding the pitfalls of "sunphobia" while promoting both skin health and mental well-being. Tune in to discover how you can embrace the sun's benefits without compromising your skin, and find harmony in your sun protection routine.

Dr Stefanie Williams is a renowned dermatologist and the medical director of Eudelo Dermatology & Skin Wellbeing, a multi-award-winning skin clinic in Central London. With over 28 years of practice, Dr Stefanie is an international key opinion leader in cosmetic dermatology and aesthetic medicine, having authored two Amazon No-1 bestselling books. 

Eudelo (www.eudelo.com) offers a comprehensive range of treatments for both medical and aesthetic skin concerns, combining the latest scientific advances with a personalized approach to skincare. The clinic's commitment to excellence has earned it accolades such as "Best Clinic in London" and "Best Dermatologist" in the Marie Claire awards. 

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Disclaimer: The information presented in 'Dermatology Debriefs' is for educational and informational purposes only. The content does not constitute professional medical advice. Stefanie Williams and/or Eudelo do not establish a doctor-patient relationship through this content. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional for personalized medical advice specific to your individual health needs. The content represents personal opinions and perspectives of Stefanie Williams, and may not reflect current medical consensus or standard medical practice. Content may become outdated and should not be considered current guidance. By listening to this content, the listener acknowledges and agrees that: i) The information is provided 'as is' without warranties. ii) Stefanie Williams and Eudelo bear no legal responsibility for any actions taken or omitted, based on this content. iii) Stefanie Williams and Eudelo bear no legal responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising from or related to this content. iv) Individual health decisions and medical conditions require personalized professional medical assessment and treatment. Listeners should never use this content to diagnose, prevent, treat, or manage any health condition.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Dermatologist debriefs. Join no-nonsense dermatologist Dr Stephanie Williams as she debunks myths and shares her professional insights, separating facts from fiction, in just a few minutes.

Speaker 2: 0:17

Hello, I'm Dr Stephanie. I would like to talk about a very controversial topic today, which is have we gone too far with sun protection? So, as a dermatologist, I'm supposed to really endorse the mantra of sbf, sbf, sbf and, of course, if you want to slow down your skin's aging process, then daily sbF is an important measure. Not even to talk about skin cancer today, but I feel we've gone a little too far with this now near-religious recommendation. I've seen parents in clinic who have applied daily sun protection all year round on their kids, pretty much from birth, and that makes me feel very uneasy. Why is that? The reason is the impact on our vitamin D levels. So a good vitamin D level in our body is really extremely important, both for physical and for mental health, from better immunity, for example, against the flu, colds and COVID, to even potential protective effects against certain cancers. Low vitamin D has even been associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, and we know that both excessive sun avoidance as well as daily SPF of broad spectrum sun protection products can impact our vitamin D levels. I often measure the vitamin D level in my patients and almost always it comes back as too low. And that's because 80 to 90% of natural vitamin D in the UK is derived from sun exposure. And when I say I often observe too low levels, what do I mean with too low? Too low levels? What do I mean with too low? So we used to aim for a blood level of 50 nanomole per liter and anything under 50 was reported by the lab as insufficient. That has changed a little bit and now lab reference ranges mostly recommend aiming for above 75. And now lab reference ranges mostly recommend aiming for above 75. However, some experts are even now recommending to aim for 100 or 120 nanomoles per liter. And just to mention that, you definitely don't want to go above 200 or 250 nanomoles per liter. Also to mention that the UK units used are, as mentioned, nanomole per liter, whereas in the US the labs use a unit of nanogram per milliliter. So you can't compare UK reports to US reports and the conversion rate between the two would be 50 nanomoles per litre equals 20 nanograms per millilitre.

Speaker 2: 3:33

But to come back to my thoughts about whether we are overdoing sun protection, I think we do in many cases. I think we do in many cases. My advice really is don't go overboard and kind of develop a sunphobia in a way, and I've seen this many times. I'm really not exaggerating. Of course, you don't want to burn your skin, but to phobically avoid the sun definitely doesn't do your vitamin D level any favours.

Speaker 2: 4:11

My other advice would be to add a vitamin D3 supplement. This is something that you can get over the counter in health food shops, for example. We do actually need more than what's in a typical multivitamin, so multivitamins contain 400 units of D3, and that's definitely too low, in my opinion. My recommendation would be to go for at least 1,000 or 2,000 units per day, and even going up to 4,000 units per day is completely fine, without having to check your blood level. Some doctors recommend 1000 units per 15 kilograms of body weight.

Speaker 2: 4:59

Ideally, you would, of course, do a blood check and see where you are and adjust your vitamin D supplement accordingly. I personally take 8000 units daily, for example, because I'm really trying to get my blood level over 100 and that's the right dose for me. So it's all very individual, but you can't go wrong with up to 4000 units per day, I would say. So I do still recommend daily SPF for anybody who wants to slow down the aging process on their skin, but definitely combine that with a good vitamin D3 supplement and don't become overly obsessed with sun protection and sun avoidance, even because the sun does have some benefits for our skin, and I think with all the education on sun avoidance and sun protection, it simply has gone too far in my personal opinion. So I hope this makes sense and do send me any questions you'd like to have answered, and I will speak to you again soon. You.