Summer is kicking off, and this is the time of year when everyone goes outside for outdoor activities. As you prepare for your summer plans, Dr. Adewole Adamson advises equipping yourself with the proper tools and clothing to keep your skin healthy this season. He shares what to look for in sunscreen and the best way to avoid sunburns. Dr. Adamson debunks myths about sun exposure and skin cancer.
“The relationship between the sun and skin cancer has never been linked for people who identify as black. I have done the research, and it is a myth. Some studies show that the relationship exists, but there’s no data to support that too much sun will lead to skin cancer in black people.” said Dr. Adewole Adamson.
Dr. Adamson is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas at Austin. He pursued this discipline of medicine because he likes caring for patients with skin diseases like melanoma. He is passionate about healthcare disparities and access to specialty health in dermatology.
Using sunscreen with SPF 30 or above with broad spectrum coverage is the first piece of advice Dr. Adamson shares. He explains that broad-spectrum coverage protects against Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. The difference between the two rays is that UVA has a longer wavelength and is associated with skin aging. UVB has a shorter wavelength and is associated with skin burning. Sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum coverage prevents both those issues down the road. Dr. Adamson suggests not getting mineral or physical blocker sunscreen when selecting sunscreen. Those types have zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide in them. This material leaves a cast on the skin, which makes dark complexions look white and pasty.
Sunscreen is one step people can take to protect their skin from sunburns. Dr. Adamson proposes that people adopt a regime of sunburn protection. Wearing protective clothing and staying out of the sun during peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. are steps to add to the regime. Dr. Adamsons describes how sunburns can have more consequences than just a mark on your skin.
“if you’re in the sun long enough, you can develop a sunburn no matter your complexion. They are painful and annoying and could lead to premature aging. Sunburns can lead to hyperpigmentation and interfere with the resolution of scars,” said Dr. Adamson.
The University of Texas professor encourages people to go to professionals for advanced care for skin health. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a device people have been using recently to diagnose themselves for skin cancer and other diseases. Dr. Adamson discusses how A.I. needs to be revised to be the first option when diagnosing skin. He breaks down how the companies behind the skin A.I. technology need more to give accurate readings.
None of those consumer-facing apps are FDA-approved. If you put them under the rigor of testing, they fail miserably. Only one FDA-approved A.I. product is used by doctors, but it is not even widely used. I caution people from using those apps to make medical judgments,” said Dr.Adamson.
He discusses this topic by sharing how commercial companies use A.I. to recommend products to customers. Still, their technology needs more data on people with darker skin tones.
“A lot of the data that trained the algorithms are biased. They don’t have data with examples of different conditions and darker skin. Because of that, they often perform much worse in darker skin types,” said Dr. Adamson.
Dr. Adamson explains that sun protection is essential for a safe and fun summer. The steps recommended by the University of Texas professor will help avoid sunburns and premature skin aging in the future.
