Sun Smart Series: Part 3: Sun Safety Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

In Parts 1 and 2 of our Sun Smart series, we covered the essentials of sunscreen application and the three layers of smart sun protection — what you wear, where you are, and when you go out.

But there’s one more dimension to sun safety that often gets overlooked: not everyone’s skin has the same needs.

“One of the most important things we can help patients understand is that sun protection isn’t a one-size-fits-all conversation,” says Richard Price MD, of Price Skin Care Clinic in Ridgeland. “Age, medication, and skin tone can all affect your risk — and your approach to protection.”

Here’s what every member of your family needs to know before heading out in the summer sun.

Protecting Kids: Start the Habits Early
Children’s skin is more sensitive to UV damage than adult skin, and the sun exposure accumulated during childhood plays a significant role in long-term skin health.

Research suggests that just a few serious sunburns in childhood can meaningfully increase the risk of skin cancer later in life — which means the sun safety habits you build with your kids now can have a lasting impact.
The primary defense from UV damage for infants and children includes no direct sunlight, protective clothing worn outdoors and remaining in the shade. For older children, a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen should be applied before heading outside and reapplied every two hours — just like adults.

Establishing sun safety habits that become a natural part of your child’s summer routine can last a lifetime.

Habits such as:
• Applying sunscreen before swim lessons
• Keeping a hat by the door
• Seeking shade during the hottest part of the day

Protecting Seniors: Watch for Medication Sensitivities
As we age, our skin becomes thinner and more vulnerable to UV damage. But for many older adults, there’s an additional layer of risk that often goes unrecognized: photosensitivity caused by common medications.

A surprisingly wide range of prescription and over-the-counter medications can make your skin significantly more sensitive to the sun. These include certain antibiotics, blood pressure medications, diuretics, antihistamines, and some cholesterol medications. If you or a loved one is taking any regular medications, it’s worth asking your health care provider whether sun sensitivity is a potential side effect.

For seniors, all the Sun Smart principles from Parts 1 and Part 2 apply — and then some. In fact, they become even more important when medication sensitivities are a factor.

The most important include:
• Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen
• Wearing protective clothing
• Wearing UV sunglasses
• And avoiding peak sun hours

When in doubt, ask Dr. Price or one of our nurse practitioners whether your medications could be affecting your sun sensitivity.

Every Skin Tone Needs Sun Protection
One of the most persistent and potentially harmful myths in skin care is the idea that darker skin tones don’t need sun protection. While it’s true that higher levels of melanin provide some natural protection against UV rays, that protection is limited — and skin cancer can and does affect people of all skin tones.

In fact, when skin cancer is diagnosed in patients with darker skin tones, it is often caught at a later stage, in part because the warning signs can be less visible and the conversation about risk is less common. That makes awareness and prevention even more important across every skin tone.

Regardless of your complexion, a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher is recommended for everyone spending time outdoors. Sun safety is genuinely for everyone — and so is a conversation with your skin care provider about what protection looks like for your specific skin.

The Bottom Line
Sun safety looks a little different for everyone. Whether you’re applying sunscreen to a squirming five-year-old, reminding an aging parent to check their medications, or having a more nuanced conversation about risk across different skin tones, the underlying goal is the same — healthy skin for every member of your family, all summer long.

This wraps up our Sun Smart series. We hope these three posts have given you and your family a complete, practical guide to sun protection this summer. If you have questions or concerns about your skin, our team is here to help.
Call Price Skin Care Clinic at (601) 992-3996 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Price or one of our nurse practitioners.