Sunscreen in Diabetes | Diabetes Guide

            

Sunscreen: Better cream than spray

If you want to enjoy the sun longer, you should always apply a sunscreen to unclothed skin. The range of such products is now as great as the helplessness of many consumers when they stand in front of shelves with countless bottles, tubes and sprays. Eggert Stockfleth gives a small shopping guide: "You'd better reach for a cream than a spray, because when spraying something always evaporates in the air." The remedy should feel pleasant on the skin – "the best sunscreen does not help if you do not like to apply it!"

Not every sunscreen works in the same way. There are chemical and mineral sunscreen filters. Chemical filters penetrate the skin, absorb UV radiation and convert it into heat. It takes some time after application for the protective molecules to be absorbed. Mineral agents cover the skin like a protective film and reflect UV radiation. Most preparations combine chemical and physical filters.

Sunscreen should protect against UVA and UVB rays

"Always wear the sunscreen 30 minutes in advance, for example, in the holiday in the hotel before you go to the beach," advises expert Stockfleth, "even if a product with the hint acts instantly 'advertises.'

Your sunscreen should not only protect against UV-B radiation, but also contain an effective UV-A filter. Suitable products can be recognized by the circular logo with the letters "UVA". The sun protection factor (SPF) refers only to the UV-B protection. It indicates how many times longer you can safely stay in the sun with protected compared to unprotected skin. A calculation example: They correspond to the skin type 2, so your own protection time is a maximum of twenty minutes. A cream with SPF 20 expands this period to 400 minutes. The dermatologist's advice: "Choose at least SPF 30, and never use the calculated time window (it always applies for 24 hours)."

Sunscreen: Do not bother with creaming

For creaming itself: padding, do not spill. To reach the indicated SPF, an adult needs about 40 grams of cream. When dosing, the "ninth rule" helps. Divide the surface of your body into nine areas: head including neck, each arm, both thighs, each lower leg with foot, and chest and back. Cover the outstretched middle and index finger with cream, and distribute this amount on each of the nine surfaces. As the cream wears off over time, the protection should be renewed several times a day.

If a bathing excursion or a holiday by the sea is on, definitely a "waterproof" sunscreen in your luggage. Do not take this information too literally. During bathing and subsequent drying, a part of the protective film always rubs off. Therefore, make sure to re-cream after every stay in the water. And do not stretch the bathing pleasure too much, because swimming also dries out your skin. Give her some time to regenerate.

Even in the shade, sunscreen is important

So always in the shade! Or? Caution – Trees, umbrellas and even clouds always filter only part of the sun's rays. On the safe side, you are only under a solid roof. "The time of the most intense sunlight between eleven and 15 o'clock you should not spend in the open air," recommends Dermatologist Stockfleth, "then you get 75 percent of the harmful rays not from." It is no coincidence that this time of day is used in southern European countries for a long siesta.

"The best protection is clothing," it is often said. This is not so flat, because there are big differences in textiles. A rule of thumb: The clothes should be loose, the fabric should be as densely woven and dark as possible. This always includes a headgear. Especially children and sports clothes are also available with "built-in" sunscreen. The textile sun protection factor UPF is roughly comparable to the sunscreen SPF. Textiles that have been awarded the "UV Standard 801" seal of approval protect even when wet or stretched.

Also protect the eyes from the sun in diabetes

Because UV rays can also damage your eyes, you'll need UV-filtered sunglasses on cloudless days. Especially if you suffer from diabetes-related retinal damage or cataracts. Suitable glasses have a CE mark on the inside of the bracket. If you are not sure, you can have the UV protection of your glasses checked by the optician.

As a diabetic, think about supplementing sunscreen with high quality skin care. Eggert Stockfleth advises: "Get a moisturizing lotion in the morning and in the evening after the shower." This should contain few, but high-quality ingredients. Avoid pure fatty ointments. They block air exchange and heat regulation. "Particularly beneficial for dry skin are products with urea," says Stockfleth.

The right sunscreen: pharmacists can give advice

On the other hand, you can safely do without your skin care on scents, preservatives and dyes. Let the pharmacy advise you which products are best for you. With the right sunscreen, suitable clothing and careful care, your skin is well prepared for the summer season, and you can do what is most fun in summer: go out and enjoy the best time of the year!