- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he said, need to be aware, and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has been director of the Dermatopathology Laboratory since 1998 and chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology since 2000. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin and lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information is becoming a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he said. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
More answers
- Sun-protective clothing: Worth the expense?
- Does sunscreen expire?
- Tanning beds: Safer than the sun?
- Sunburn treatment: What works?
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Question
Getting a 'base tan': Does it prevent sunburn?
I'm leaving soon on a vacation to Florida. A friend of mine advised me to go to a tanning salon before my trip, to help prevent sunburn. Is this recommended?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Many people go to tanning salons to get a so-called "base tan" before leaving on a beach vacation. The theory behind this is a few sessions of indoor tanning will protect your skin from sunburn in a sunny climate. But there's no proof that this is true.
Tanning under the sun or a sunlamp gives protection that is equivalent to a sun protection factor (SPF) of 4 or less, which translates into a little extra time in the sun before you start to burn. But the larger issue is that any change in skin color is a sign of damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Repeated exposure to UV radiation — whether from the sun or a sunlamp — increases your risk of premature skin aging and skin cancer.
The best way to protect your skin from the sun — at the beach and at home — is to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above. Sunscreens that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide stay on longer and are especially good for water sports. Other tips for protecting your skin:
- Avoid the midday sun.
- Wear sun-protective clothing such as hats with broad brims.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours.
Rarely, an individual may have a medical condition — such as certain types of eczema or psoriasis — for which a doctor recommends pre-exposure to ultraviolet light before vacationing in a sunny climate.
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