How to Prevent Sun Spots

Learn how to prevent sun spots in this Howcast video.

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Top dermatologist Dr. Elissa Lunder shares the secrets to beautiful skin in these Howcast videos.

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Hi, I'm Dr. Elissa Lunder. I've been practicing dermatology at Dermatology Partners in Wellesley, Massachusetts for the past 10 years. I believe that skin care doesn't have to be complicated. With a few simple steps you can have beautiful skin. You can visit Dermatology Partners on the web at dermatologypartnersinc.com. So today we're gonna talk about skin care. So sun spots are brown spots that appear in the sun exposed areas of your body. You commonly can see them on your face, on the anterior chest and on the back of your hands. You wanna use sunblock, sunblock, sunblock. When you look at sun spots, it's not aging that causes them, but rather the sun. For example if you look at the skin on your chest compared to the skin on your buttocks you'll see that the sun is really what's causing the brown spots to appear. So you wanna make sure you're using a good sunscreen. Even better than that are sun protective clothing. There's some clothing lines that are made specifically with SPF engrained in the fabric. And that is a much easier and better way to protect yourself against the sun. So, you wanna seek shade whenever possible. When walking down the street if one side of the street is sunny and the other one's shady, pick the shadier side of the street. You also can use a titanium sun umbrella. Those are fantastic umbrellas that are made to reflect the sun and protect your skin. Sunblock you ideally wanna reapply every two to three hours. In general it's about one ounce or a shot glass full of sunscreen to cover your entire body. And if you go swimming or if you're getting excessively sweaty, you have to remember to reapply more often.

Expert

  • Elissa Lunder, MD

    Certified by the American Board of Dermatology, Dr. Elissa Lunder specializes in general, cosmetic, and laser dermatology. She spent a year at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital studying the use of UVA and UVB wavelengths to treat skin disorders and how sunlight can damage the skin and is now a partner at Dermatology Partners Inc in Wellesley, MA. Dr. Lunder is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Massachusetts Academy of Dermatology. She has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Archives of Dermatology, and authored two dermatology book chapters. Dr. Lunder also co-hosts WHJJ’s “Better Health Connection” and is frequently quoted in magazines, including InStyle, Glamour, and Ladies’ Home Journal.