Q&A
Dr. Holly Burggraf is a family-practice physician who specializes in cosmetic dermatology. Burggraf works for New West Physicians, a Golden-based medical group of 48 physicians. This time of year, the Denver native gets a lot of questions about the smartest way to protect skin against the sun’s rays. She agreed to share her best advice with The Denver Post.
Q: Are Coloradans more vulnerable to the sun’s damaging rays because we live at altitude?
A: Due to the altitude, there is much less protective ozone layer and, yes, people in Colorado are more vulnerable. However, the worst would be high altitude and the equator, the closest proximity of the Earth to the sun. We are at least at a better latitude than, say, the South American mountains.
Q: What does the SPF on sunscreen really mean? Is there any product that fully blocks ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays?
A: SPF means sun protective factor, and actually pertains only to UVB light – SPF 2-11, minimal coverage, 12-20 better, best 25-30. Note that studies were done with 1-centimeter thickness of sunscreen applied every two hours to the skin to get the actual number each product is assigned. That is a heck of a lot of sunscreen, meaning a family of four would go through a 64-ounce bottle of sunscreen every four days.
More important now are products that have both UVA and UVB protection. There is a push toward a new universal rating system for UVA and UVB, but right now nothing is in place. The only way you can tell if your sunscreen has enough protection is if it has one of the following ingredients: avobenzone, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
Q: Are there ways to reduce past sun damage that could lead to discoloration, wrinkles or even skin cancer?
A: The only way currently to “undo” previous damage is Retin A, or tretinion cream, a vitamin A-derived cream that actually reprograms, if you will, the DNA in the cell that was damaged years ago by the sun exposure. By extension, collagen and tissues under the skin can also be improved through the actions of tretinion applied topically and regularly.
Everything else simply tries to remove or turn over the outer layer of skin cells, in hopes that the next layer is healthy (skin turns over normally every 30 days).
Q: What’s the best way to replenish the skin’s moisture after a long weekend of biking, backpacking or lounging poolside?
A: Most importantly, don’t ever let the skin get dried out, windburned or sunburned. Keep well hydrated, but drinking more water will not actually help the dermis/epidermis stay moisturized if the elements are depleting it. Applying one of the moisturizers with sunscreen already in it (at least 20-30 SPF per our current system) is the easiest solution.
– Marsha Austin, Denver Post staff writer
REGIONAL NOTES
CENTENNIAL
Traffic-control talks get rolling
The city’s first formal neighborhood traffic-control policy is being discussed this month at two community forums.
Residents at the meetings will see Centennial’s proposals for traffic-calming options in neighborhoods and can give opinions on what the city should do to ease traffic problems on residential streets.
The first meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Castlewood Library, 6739 S. Uinta St. The second begins at 6 p.m. at Grandview High School, 20500 E. Arapahoe Road.
Both meetings are part of a six-month push to devise a formal set of residential traffic policies in Centennial. Once approved, the traffic-calming measures will become part of a plan that community groups and city officials can use when deciding how to manage vehicle traffic in neighborhoods.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
