Does sunscreen ever go bad?

Most sunscreens expire in two years. Look closely at the bottle for an expiration date. If you can't find an expiration date and you think the sunscreen is more than two years old then throw it out. There is nothing worse than using a sunscreen and then getting burned...

Melanoma without the Mel(anin)

I saw two patients last week with amelanotic melanoma - a melanoma with very little melanin. Melanin is a pigment that gives skin its color - the darker the skin - the more melanin. Usually we think of melanoma as being black or brown. Amelanotic melanoma is red or pink and is often difficult to detect on skin exam. Here is an example of an amelanotic melanoma:

Studies have shown that amelanotic melanoma is rare - it represents 1.8% to 8.1% of cutaneous malignant melanoma.

When I see an amelanotic melanoma I am often reminded of a basal cell carcinoma - clinically they both appear to be almost translucent, shiny and pink or red.

Fortunately for my two patients with amelanotic melanoma, the cancer was discovered at an early stage. I'm glad I did a biopsy. Now you know what to look for...

What is the best sunscreen?

Many of my patients ask me what is the best sunscreen. I always tell them that the best sunscreen is waterproof, rubproof, protects from both ultraviolet A and B (UVA and UVB), and has a sunprotection factor (SPF) greater or equal to 30. I never included cost in my list for "best sunscreen" until a patient mentioned a study done by Consumer Reports - published July 2007. You can find the article by searching for "sunscreen" at www.consumerreports.com.

In this study by Consumer Reports they tested the SPF of all the sunscreens 15 minutes after application . Products claiming water resistance were scored again after immersion in water. They were tested for both UVA and UVB protection.

Cost sometimes but not always correlated with sunprotection - especially with protection from UVA. The "best" suncreen (in terms of sunprotection) - Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 45 - was also the most expensive. The "best" sunscreen (in terms of value) was No-Ad Sunblock Lotion Maximum SPF 45, a CR Best Buy.

An SPF 30 sunscreen lets you stay in the sun, unburned by UVB, up to 30 times longer than without it. But people typically apply about 25 to 75 percent less sunscreen than the amount used in most sunscreen tests. The lesson: be sure to use enough sunscreen. To get the labeled protection, an adult in a swimsuit needs to use at least 2 to 3 tablespoons of sunscreen. Reapply it every two hours and after swimming or substantial sweating. If you’re out all day, find some shade or add protective clothing, including a hat.

Now go have fun...