Page 2 - Boca Exposure - September '20

Page 2, Boca Exposure
Sunscreen Alternatives To Protect Your Skin

By Dr. Katherine Chiang, Siperstein Dermatology Group to check out some of our favorite sun-protective clothing approximately 20 launderings. So, be sure to keep track of
We at Siperstein Dermatology Group understand that not brands in person! Some of our go-to-clothing brands include your washings! For those hesitant to purchase UV protective
everyone loves sunscreen as much as we do. Sunscreen is a Coolibar, Solumbra, UV Skinz, and Cabana Life. Hat brands clothing, laundry additives are an inexpensive way to
great tool for protecting your skin for the vast majority of our include Wallaroo and Buff. augment your sun protection. You only need one pack of
patients. However, there are people for whom sunscreen may I Already Have Clothing That I Love Wearing When RIT Sun Guard per load of laundry and last we checked on
be less ideal – children less than six months of age, pregnant Outdoors. Can I Convert Them To UV Clothing? Amazon, a six-pack was $25, making each load of laundry
or breast-feeding women, patients allergic to sunscreen Yes, you can! A UV detergent is a photo-protective only $4.16! What a bargain for protecting your skin from
ingredients, and even people with limited mobility. In these laundry additive that washes into the clothing and absorbs skin cancer and aging!
cases, we recommend seeking out sunscreen alternatives to broadband UV radiation. The brand we recommend is RIT Any Other Sun Protective Strategies You Recommend?
use exclusively or in combination with sunscreen. Read on Sun Guard. A single treatment of RIT Sun Guard embeds Don’t forget to grab your sunglasses that offer UVA/UVB
for some of our favorite alternatives to traditional sunscreen! clothing with a UPF of 30, meaning only 1/30th (or 3.3 broad-spectrum coverage. Chronic UV exposure can increase
I Dislike The Creamy Feeling Of Sunscreens, Are There percent) of the UV rays can penetrate the UPF fabric. Unlike the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and many other
Any Non-Greasy Substitutes? our recommended clothing brands above, which typically eye problems. We’re not the eye experts here but are happy
Try a brush-on sunscreen! These portable, self-dispensing maintain the same UPF for hundreds of washes, clothing to refer you to an ophthalmologist if you have any further
brushes have become an extremely popular alternative to treated with RIT Sun Guard will have UPF that only lasts questions.
traditional sunscreen. They are mineral-based, go on sheer
tool for your low ultraviolet (UV) exposure days spent inside Conversations Overcome Concerns
and offer broad spectrum UVA-UVB coverage. It’s a great

the house or office. We do not recommend using it as your
likely insufficient to protect the skin, especially if you are And Strengthen Relationships
primary method of sun protection as the amount applied is
spending significant time outside. However, it is a great option
for sun protection while running quick errands or reapplication Talk To Your Doctor When The angry patient left our receptionist in tears and our
over makeup. Drop by our office or visit us online to purchase You Have Concerns Or office manager flustered. It takes a great deal to fluster our
our favorite brand: Brush-on-Block SPF 30! office manager, given her background. I tried to call the
My Spouse/Child/Friend Refuses To Wear Sunscreen Something Is Upsetting You. patient, but she did not take the call.
When Outdoors. What Do You Recommend They Use Having a personal conversation is the preferred way to
Instead? By Steven E. Reznick, MD, understand and overcome concerns, issues or complaints.
Our all-time favorite method of sun protection is clothing/ FACP Email is too impersonal and rarely conveys the tone properly
hats with UPF. The term ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) is When I organized my and a handwritten letter is less personal than a face-to-face
used as a measure of ultraviolet radiation penetration through medical practice, I tried to meeting.
the fabric. For example a UPF of 50 means that 1/50th (2 find individuals with great The same applies to those unexpected release of records
percent) of the UV rays can penetrate the UPF fabric. The customer service skills plus forms you receive from patients requesting their records be
higher the UPF, the better. The UPF of a fabric depends the medical knowledge to sent to another internal medicine or family practice. You
upon the fiber content, weave, fabric finishing and additives. work in an internal medicine never want to learn your patient has left your practice without
Clothing with UPF 50-plus offers the best protection because practice. We all do our best knowing why. How do you fix a problem and prevent it from
it is constant, full-skin, full-spectrum protection. You do not to meet the needs of our happening in the future if you were never made aware of it
need to reapply. You do not need to worry about what area patients but sometimes, even in the first place?
of the skin you missed. And best yet, this clothing actually with the best of efforts, we I encourage my patients to contact me if they are unhappy
keeps you nice and cool under the sun. fall short. with me, my staff or the way I provide care so we can address
But don’t our clothes already protect us from the sun? For example, a patient requested a large quantity of a their concerns. Better communication makes for better care
Sadly, not very well! The average weight cotton T-shirt gives medication as a refill early one morning. I saw the fax as I – even if the original message is unpleasant.
only a UPF of 5, which translates to 20 percent of the UV walked in the door, picked it up, signed it and returned it to Give us a chance to hear your point of view and address
rays reaching your skin. This is inadequate protection when the pharmacy for the refill. It only took about five minutes the issue. That is what relationships are all about.
outdoors. to send it to the pharmacy. Although this article is based on my patient experiences, I
When shopping for your sun-protective clothing and When the pharmacy received the refill authorization, encourage everyone to have a conversation with their doctor
hats, make sure you pay attention to a few things. (1) The they did not have the quantity of the medication the patient to share their concerns.
fabric should be UPF rated 50-plus, not SPF rated. Clothing requested. When the patient went to pick up the medication, Board certified in internal medicine, with added
that cites SPF does not offer full-spectrum protection and they were given a 90-day supply, not the requested 180 days. qualifications in geriatrics, Steven E. Reznick, M.D.
(2) Make sure the clothing is durable, meaning that the sun The pharmacy incorrectly told the patient we only has practiced locally since 1979. He is recognized by
protection the fabric offers will not wash out or wear out over ordered 90 tablets. Angry, the patient called the office and physicians as a “Best Doctor” and is a national health care
time. Drop by the Siperstein office during your next visit was abrasive – not giving my staff a chance to investigate blogger. To schedule a complimentary meeting with Dr.
the matter to see if it could be settled to her expectations. Reznick to learn about his personalized care, concierge
Unfortunately, the pharmacy never told the patient their membership practice, call (561) 368-0191 or visit www.
Boca Helping Hands from page 1 supply of that medicine was short. BocaConciergeDoc.com.

With an increased focus on client self-sufficiency,
BHH awards scholarships for qualified candidates
to attend accredited vocational training classes that
prepare them for careers in the healthcare, information
technology, transportation, and hospitality industries.
BHH also offers free English as a Second Language
(ESOL) classes and courses in nutrition and other
life skills. Staff and volunteer mentors counsel the
unemployed and underemployed in basic workplace
skills and help them polish resumes and search for
jobs.
Charity Navigator named Boca Helping Hands a
Four-Star Charity for the 14th Consecutive Year. Boca
Helping Hands is located at 1500 N.W. First Court,
Boca Raton, FL 33432. For more information, please
Tradition never
visit bocahelpinghands.org. Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur
tasted so delicious.
Friday, Sept. 18 & Saturday, Sept. 19 Sunday, Sept. 27 & Monday, Sept. 28
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the homeowners and is edited by their appointed editor.
Call to make Rosh Hashanah reservations; seating is limited.

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