American Academy of Dermatology Statement on the Safety of Sunscreen | American Academy of Dermatology

https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/safety-of-sunscreen

American Academy of Dermatology Statement on the Safety of Sunscreen

Schaumburg, IL (May 19, 2017) — Statement from Henry W. Lim, MD, FAAD, President, American Academy of Dermatology

"The American Academy of Dermatology wants to emphasize that sunscreen remains a safe, effective form of sun protection. As one component of a daily sun-protection strategy, sunscreen is an important tool in the fight against skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

"Current scientific data does not support claims that sunscreen ingredients are toxic or a hazard to human health. Rather, evidence supports the benefits of applying sunscreen to minimize short- and long-term damage to the skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

"Sunscreen products contain one or more active drug ingredients —compounds that absorb, scatter or reflect UV light — and are regulated as over-the-counter drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has several safety and effectiveness regulations in place that govern the manufacture and marketing of all sunscreen products, including safety data on its ingredients. 

"To reduce the risk of skin cancer and premature aging, dermatologists continue to recommend generously applying a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen – that protects against both types of ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) – with an SPF 30 or higher, in conjunction with other sun-safe practices such as limiting sun exposure, seeking shade, and wearing sun-protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.

"To ensure the most effective protection from sunscreen, you should apply enough sunscreen to cover all exposed skin — for most adults, this is about 1 ounce, or enough to fill a shot glass. Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours, when outdoors, or after swimming or sweating.

"There are a wide range of sunscreen products on the market today; choose the one that follows the AAD's recommendations in the form that you are most likely to use. We encourage anyone with questions about sun protection and sunscreen ingredients to talk to a board-certified dermatologist, who can use his or her expertise to help you develop an effective sun protection plan."

Benjamin Hidalgo-Matlock

Skin Care Physicians of Costa Rica

4000-1054

2208-8206

Please excuse the shortness of this message, as it has been sent from a mobile device.

Consumer Reports Ranks Top Sunscreens for 2017

Kathleen Doheny

May 19, 2017

 
 
• Add to Email Alerts 

About a third of sunscreens tested by experts at Consumer Reports provide less than half the SPF protection claimed on the label, according to the magazine's annual sunscreen report.

This year, Consumer Reports tested 58 lotions, sprays and sticks, says Trisha Calvo, deputy editor of health and food for the publication. It found 15 to recommend, while 20 of the 58 products offered less than half the SPF (sun protection factor) listed on the label. Experts recommend broad-spectrum products with an SPF of 30 or higher if you will be outdoors for awhile, although an SPF over 50 offers no additional benefit.

While the FDA requires sunscreen makers to have their products tested to evaluate the SPF, the agency does not routinely test products. Sunscreen makers only have to submit their results to the FDA if the agency requests it.

SPF is a measure of how well a sunscreen protects against ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which are the major cause of sunburn and contribute to cancer. Broad-spectrum sunscreens also protect against UVA rays, which contribute to skin aging and cancer.

The magazine's experts followed FDA guidelines in addition to their own testing to see how well the products protected against UVA and UVB rays.

Sunscreen Rankings

Here are the top three lotions among the 15 recommended sunscreens. All the recommended products scored 81 or higher overall and were rated excellent or very good for UVA and UVB protection:

• La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-in Sunscreen Milk SPF 60 ($36, or $7.20 an ounce, score of 100).

• Equate Sport Lotion SPF 50 ($5, or 63 cents an ounce, score of 99). Also a ''best buy."

• Pure Sun Defense Disney Frozen Lotion SPF 50 ($6, or 75 cents an ounce, score of 98). Also a ''best buy."

Here are the top spray and stick sunscreens:

• Trader Joe's Spray SPF 50+ ($6, or $1 an ounce, score of 100). Also a ''best buy."

• Up & Up (Target) Kids Sunscreen Stick SPF 55 ($7, or $5.83 an ounce, score of 85).

Consumer Reports magazine will release the full report and rankings in its July issue.

Natural sunscreens -- those with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as the active ingredient -- did not perform as well in the Consumer Reports testing. More of these mineral sunscreens were evaluated this year than in the past, Calvo says.

People who prefer natural sunscreens should consider the one ranked highest, Calvo says. That is the California Kids #supersensitive Lotion SPF 30+. It scored 47 overall and costs $20 a package, or $6.90 an ounce.

Sprays are a problem because you may inhale them, Calvo says. That's not a good idea for anyone, she says, but especially not for kids.

Another issue with sprays: It's difficult to know how much you actually apply to your skin. Calvo suggests spraying it onto your hand, then rubbing it into your skin.

Perspectives on the Report

Beth Jonas, PhD, chief scientist of the Personal Care Products Council, questioned how the magazine conducted its testing.

"It appears their testing methods are not consistent with those used by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration," Jonas said in a statement. The organization represents cosmetic and personal care product companies.

While she recognizes the goal of educating consumers on the important of sun safety, Jonas said they caution consumers that "the results of the Consumer Reports testing cannot be directly compared to a label claim."

Elizabeth Hale, MD, senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, says the report shows that it's important ''not just to take for granted what is on the bottle."

She says that while many of her patients say they want to use a ''natural'' sunscreen, the rankings show that chemical sunscreens outperform them.

Hale reports consultant work for Coppertone.

Whatever product people use, the best sunscreen ''is the one you are going to use very day," says Adam Smartt, a spokesman for the Melanoma Research Foundation. "That can be different for everyone."

Experts also say to avoid two common mistakes: not applying enough and not reapplying often enough.

"You should use about an ounce," Calvo says. That's about a shot glass full. Reapply sunscreen every two hours.

She offers this guideline: "If you have an 8-ounce tube of sunscreen for four people, you should go through the whole bottle during a 4-hour beach stay."

The Skin Cancer Foundation also offers these sun protection tips:

• Seek shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Use clothing to cover up, including a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses that block UV rays. The higher the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor), the better.

• Wash UPF into your clothing with special laundry additives.

• Bright and dark-colored clothes reflect more UV than lighter colors.

WebMD Health News © 2017 

Cite this article: Consumer Reports Ranks Top Sunscreens for 2017 - Medscape - May 19, 2017.

Lo que siempre habiamos dicho, no hay contraindicacion absoluta de tratamientos concomitantes en pacientes con isotretinoina.

ASDS Releases Recommendations on Skin Procedures

Dermatol Surg; ePub 2017 May 10; Waldman, Bolotin, et al

May 24, 2017

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) recently concluded that there is insufficient evidence to justify delaying treatment with superficial chemical peels and nonablative lasers, including hair removal lasers and lights, vascular lasers, and nonablative fractional devices for patients currently or recently exposed to isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid). Superficial and focal dermabrasion may also be safe when performed by a well-trained clinician.

Currently, the isotretinoin package insert contains language advising the discontinuation of isotretinoin for 6 months before performing cosmetic procedures, including waxing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser procedures, or incisional and excisional cold-steel surgery. It is common practice to follow this standard because of concerns regarding reports of sporadic adverse events and increased risk of scarring.

In response, the ASDS developed a task force of content experts to review the evidence and provide guidance regarding the safety of skin procedures, including resurfacing, energy device treatments, and incisional and excisional procedures, in the setting of concurrent or recent isotretinoin use.  

Citation:

Waldman A, Bolotin D, Arndt KA, et al. ASDS Guidelines Task Force: Consensus recommendations regarding the safety of lasers, dermabrasion, chemical peels, energy devices, and skin surgery during and after isotretinoin use. [Published online ahead of print May 10, 2017]. Dermatol Surg. doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000001166.

Antivirales para herpes labialis

Review Article

Efficacy and safety of nucleoside antiviral drugs for treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors

• First published: 25 January 2017Full publication history
• DOI: 10.1111/jop.12534

J Oral Pathol Med (2017)

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of nucleoside antiviral drugs for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials that examined the effectiveness and/or safety of nucleoside antiviral drugs for recurrent herpes labialis were identified via a literature search. The parameters used to measure efficacy were time to healing of classic and all lesions, time to resolution of pain, and percentage of aborted lesions. Safety was assessed by evaluating the adverse events reported during treatment. Subgroup analyses based on the mode of application (topical/systemic) and type of nucleoside antiviral drugs were performed, as were sensitivity analyses of studies with a low risk of bias.

Results

Our analysis included 16 publications reporting 25 randomized controlled trials (8453 patients). Nucleoside antiviral drugs decreased the time to healing of all lesions (mean difference: −0.74 days; 95% confidence interval: −0.86, −0.62), especially classic lesions (mean difference: −1.09 days; 95% confidence interval: −1.27, −0.92). They also reduced the time to resolution of pain (mean difference: −0.38 days; 95% confidence interval: −0.58, −0.18) and increased the percentage of aborted lesions (rate ratio: 1.15; 95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.23). Valaciclovir more effectively reduced the time to healing of all lesions and the time to resolution of pain than did aciclovir. Both nucleoside antiviral drugs increased the percentage of aborted lesions, whereas penciclovir and famciclovir did not.

Conclusions

Nucleoside antiviral drugs are safe and beneficial for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis; both systemic and topical formulations are recommended. Valaciclovir is more effective than aciclovir, especially in reducing the time to healing of lesions.

Review Article

Efficacy and safety of nucleoside antiviral drugs for treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors

• First published: 25 January 2017Full publication history
• DOI: 10.1111/jop.12534

J Oral Pathol Med (2017)