As a dermatologist and member of The Skin Cancer Foundation, I want to explain why, when you add up the pros and cons, letting the sun beat down on your face and body is not the way to satisfy your D quotient. But that can lead to a whole other set of serious problems. The problem is, too many people think that using sunscreen and other forms of sun protection leads to vitamin D deficiency, and that the best way to obtain enough of the vitamin is through unprotected sun exposure.
The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays interact with a protein called 7-DHC in the skin, converting it into vitamin D3, the active form of vitamin D. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it manufactures vitamin D. Vitamin D also gives an important boost to the immune system, and some in the medical community believe it can help stave off any number of diseases, while a D deficiency can open a Pandora’s box of ailments. It spurs bone growth, and without it we’d be at high risk of conditions such as osteoporosis. You need sun protection as much as you need vitamin D. You can have both, without skin damage or nutritional deficiency. A dermatologist tells you how.īy ANNE MARIE MCNEILL, MD, PHD, and ERIN WESNER
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