with Dr . Honaker
PROTECTING YOUR SKIN
Dr . riCharD honaKer
Family Medicine Physician
Dr . honaker has been featured on best Docs network DFw , houston and nashville in the Medical Minute segments , as it ’ s trusted family medicine physician discussing topics ranging from eating healthy , weight loss , and sleep problems to preventive care for headaches , food poisoning and sunburns .
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There is nothing good about sunburns . Not only does it hurt but it can make your skin leathery and thick . Or worse , it can increase the number , the size and the depth of wrinkles .
Use sunscreen when outdoors . you need to use sunscreen when you ’ re out in the sun for long periods . SPF 30 is about the ideal number . a lot of people use an SPF 40 , 50 , 60 and 80 , but you really don ’ t get much bang for your buck after SPF 30 . So just get your SPF 30 going .
Apply sunscreen often . apply it every couple of hours while you ’ re out in the sun , especially if you ’ re in and out of the water .
Drink plenty of fluids . you should drink more water than usual while outdoors and exposed to the sun in order to avoid dehydration .
cover up . Cover your skin with loose , light colored clothing if exposed to the sun for long periods of time or multiple days .
Protect your eyes and head . wearing sunglasses and hats help to protect your eyes and face from harmful sun rays .
Protect the kids , too . Make sure your kids have the SPF 30 sunscreen on regularly and apply it often .
Lighter skin , eye , and hair color risk . People with red hair , blue eyes and freckly skin have a much greater incidence of skin damage from the sun .
take precaution if on medications . if you ’ re on certain antibiotics for urinary infections or respiratory infections that can sensitize you to the sun , you can get a sunburn far more quickly and far more deadly than you normally would .
Family Medicine Associates of texas 4333 n Josey ln . Carrollton , texas 75010 phone : ( 972 ) 394 - 8844 h�� t� ��ea� y��� �������
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Keep your skin cool by using cool compresses or taking cool showers .
after cooling and cleaning the skin , be sure to moisturize your skin thoroughly with lotion or aloe vera .
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you should continue to stay hydrated . Drinking plenty of fluids helps keep your body and skin hydrated . if your sunburn is painful , take an otC pain reliever , such as ibuprofen ( advil ), acetaminophen ( tylenol ), or naproxen ( aleve ).
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if you are experiencing a severe sunburn or a sunburn with blisters , contact your doctor right away for appropriate treatment . Do not burst blisters .
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