Sun Protection and Vitamin D Deficiency
Most adults now understand that sun exposure is one of the principal causes of skin cancer, but some are also concerned that sun protection could stop some of the beneficial aspects of exposing the sun to the skin.
One of the key areas concerns vitamin D. One of the main sources of vitamin D is sunlight, which causes the body to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential to help regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, thereby keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
In the UK, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight between around the end of March to end September. The process is very efficient and short periods of exposure to UVB radiation a couple of times a week is all that is needed to create enough vitamin D each day.
Some people are concerned that wearing sun protection could impair vitamin D production, as high SPF sunscreen filters out most of the sun’s UVB radiation.
However, although that may appear to be a logical argument, numerous clinical studies have never shown a link between vitamin D insufficiency. Some studies have even shown that people who use sunscreen daily can maintain their vitamin D level.
The risk of ditching the sun cream are far greater than any perceived risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Skin Cancer Foundation advise:
“In short, unprotected sun exposure puts you at risk for any number of conditions that can permanently damage your skin, disfigure you, sometimes even kill you. And the regular use of sun protection can go a long way to keep any of that from happening.”
“The thing is, even just those unprotected 10 or 15 minutes are way more than enough time to cause DNA damage, and every bit of this damage adds up throughout your lifetime, producing more and more genetic mutations that keep increasing your lifetime risk of skin cancer.”
The message is that wearing sunscreen is a far greater priority to a person’s overall health.
Other Sources of Vitamin D
As well as being made through sun exposure, Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods, including:
- oily fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna)
- red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and liver
- egg yolks
- fortified foods (e.g. spreads, breakfast cereal)
It is also present in most multi-vitamin complexes which many adults take on a regular basis.
Private Mole Removal
Cosmedics’ Skin Surgery Laser Clinics offer mole checks and consultations with private mole removal at a selection of clinics based in London and Bristol. Moles are removed using the latest surgical techniques including laser mole removal; with trained doctors and surgeons.
For more information about moles, see:
For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.
