by Rachel Burt, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at Roswell OB/GYN…………………………………
A recent study by Australian researchers suggests that the best anti aging remedy is simply applying sunscreen regularly. It is back to basics. You can spend lots of money on all the expensive anti aging concoctions promoted by the cosmetic companies or you can just make sure you protect yourself from the sun. The study randomized 903 adults into 2 groups – those that used sunscreen every day with frequent application and those that used sunscreen at their own discretion. The group that used sunscreen regularly were 24 percent less likely to show signs of aging over a 4 and a half year time period. The study suggests SPF 15 with protection against UVA and UVB rays is effective. Higher SPF only provides marginal improvement in protection. In order to be most effective, the sunscreen needs to be applied liberally and reapplied every 2 hours as well as after swimming. As we all know, reduction in sun exposure also helps us to reduce our risk for skin cancer.
For more information please see the Annals of Internal Medicine article.
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