The Facts About High Factor Sunscreens

Soaring sales of sunscreen this summer would indicate that Brits are doing more to take care of their skin in the sun. 

Many are choosing higher factor sunscreens too, but some experts argue that choosing a higher factor sunscreen can be counter-productive.

In theory, a sunscreen allows you to stay in the sun longer without burning, so an SPF50 sunscreen will allow you to be outdoors in the sun 50 times longer before burning.

However, studies have found that people are misled by the claims on high-SPF sunscreen bottles. The problem is not to do with the product’s efficacy, but how it is used. Critics point out that higher factor sunscreens can be a problem due to:

1. Lulling people into a false sense of security so that they still over-expose themselves to harmful UVA/UVB rays
2. Staying out too long in the sun
3. Not putting enough sunscreen on
4. Not waiting 20 minutes for it to take effect before sun exposure (putting sun cream on at the beach is too late!)
5. Failing to reapply to maintain the effect (especially after swimming)
6. Not worth the extra money if you are not in the sun for very long anyway
7. Higher concentrations of sun-filtering chemicals which could trigger allergic skin reactions
8. Temptation to use up old sunscreens which are less effective

However, some of these criticisms apply equally to lower factor sunscreen.

Cosmedics Skin Clinics see many patients who have suffered the consequences of bad sun protection habits.

They advocate a high factor, good quality sunscreen SPF30+ with UVA and UVB protection such as Heliocare SPF50+ gel, an award-winning advanced formula.

It should be used daily, applied BEFORE exposure to the sun even on cloudy days. Cosmedics advise patients to reapply sunscreen regularly and ensure that it is never past use-by date.

See top 10 sun-sense tips.

Mole Removal Doctor

Dr Ross Perry is a leading mole removal doctor in the UK and has removed thousands of moles in his career.

He qualified in 1994 from Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital and has a special interest in skin cancer. He works as part of the Kingston Hospital plastics surgery team as well as leading a team of private mole removal doctors at Cosmedics Skin Clinics.

Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer mole removal at their clinics in London and Bristol, where moles on the face and body are removed quickly, painlessly and with minimal scarring.

Cosmedics, Mole Removal London

Cosmedics Skin Clinics was established in 2003 and remains a doctor owned and managed company.  The company has 5 clinics in London plus one in Bristol.

Treatments are carried out by GMC Registered Doctors who have been specially trained in Dr Ross Perry’s own cosmetic and medical dermatology techniques.