Fit: Here Comes the Sun

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EXCEPT WHEN EATING a tasty vindaloo, burning sensations are never a good thing. And when it comes from basking too long on a beach blanket or ditching your hat during that three-hour softball game, you could be causing a heck of a lot more damage than an unsightly tan line.

A trusty bottle of SPF 30 is still your best weapon in the battle against the sun's wrinkle and cancer-causing rays, but you can do more, says Cheryl M. Burgess, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at George Washington University Hospital and Georgetown University Hospital and Medical Director of the Center for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery.

Protection starts with smarts. So forget whatever your cousin told you about the importance of a base tan. Hopping under the lights of a tanning bed before hitting the beach only subjects your skin to more damage. Nor does a fake-bake-in-a-bottle offer any protection. "That's just a dye that attaches to the skin cells to give you that honey glow," Burgess says. Unless there's sunscreen in them, you can burn as if you didn't apply it at all.

What if you're one of those lucky souls who can't burn? Unless you're a superhero, think again, says Burgess. "If your skin gets darker because of the sun, you've burned," she says. The dark-complected aren't off the hook, even if you never turn red. If your skin is lighter beneath your sleeves, you're busted.

A morning smear of sunscreen is right on, but reapply when you head out for lunch — the most dangerous hours are between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Do it again before happy hour — sunscreen generally lasts only two hours before you sweat or rub it off. "Even out of peak hours, those rays are still penetrating," Burgess says.

Long drives require extra protection, too. If you're planning on getting behind the wheel, pay close attention to dousing your left side in sunblock, and think about asking an auto-repair shop to put UV shields in your car windows. Same goes for windows in your home or office.

Many foundations and lipsticks these days come with SPF heft, and Burgess also recommends mineral makeups. With flakes of silver, gold and other substances, it reflects the light away from your skin. "It looks very natural," she says — although it's harder to pull off if you're a dude.

And you've heard of SPF, but what about EPF? "Environmental protection factor" is a rating used for antioxidants, explains Burgess. All of those miracle foods you're supposed to eat a lot of — like green tea, vitamin C and vitamin E — also may have benefits for the face when applied topically.

Idebenone might not sound as familiar, but it tops the EPF scale, which is certain creams employ it to add to their sun-shielding powers. "The process of oxidation, which makes us age, occurs on a daily basis. But this can trap and grab free radicals, so it goes beyond sunscreen," says Burgess, who likes Prevage by Elizabeth Arden.

Pledging allegiance to a healthy skin regimen now is lovely, but don't forget about checking for any damage you let slide before. A dermatologist can give you a once-over, but between visits, know what to look out for. With moles, worry if any look asymmetric, develop an irregular border, turn multiple colors or grow bigger than a pencil eraser. Rough patches might be squamous cell carcinomas or actinic keratosis. (Don't worry, you don't need to know how to pronounce them.) "They're like running your hand against sandpaper," Burgess describes. And while the majority are harmless, you don't want to be in the unlucky 10 percent who let suspicious patches develop into skin cancer.

Freckles, however, aren't going to bite. Keep a close watch on areas speckled with the brown spots, though. "It's a telltale sign that this may be where something else develops because it's been exposed. It's a clue to where patients need to be monitoring more," Burgess says.

Bet you're not going to forget that baseball hat next time, huh?

Photo by Andrea Bruce Woodall/The Washington Post