This is Ask Okanagan with Phil Johnson, a quick take with trusted local professionals. This is Ask Okanagan, brought to you by the Dr. Ben Wiese Private Skincare Clinic, private pay skin cancer screening services in Kelowna. Dr. Wiese joins us in studio.

Sunscreen. Mm-hmm. There are those people out there who believe that sunscreen causes cancer. Take me to that subject.

Yeah, that’s unfortunately a big misperception. Sunscreen is safe. There are different types of sunscreen, of course. You get chemical sunscreen, physical sunscreens, and studies have shown that there’s no difference in how effective they are. We don’t have to worry about using them. It is safe, and it is definitely recommended to make sure that you use it, especially when you go to a sunnier destination.

But of course, I also recommend that we need to remember that sunscreen is great, but clothing is better. So this is where you want to wear that hat, you want to wear that rash guard to protect your skin. So as I say, make sure that you use your sunscreen every day, but also make sure that you protect the rest of your skin. Hats, broad-brim hats, nice sunglasses, and then, you know, something like a rash guard is always a great idea. Or if you’re going to play some golf, make sure that you use some sleeves for your arms. Or even some gloves, that can really make a big difference in protecting your skin.

I’m amazed, surprised, wondering that you’ve mentioned the word gloves a couple of times in the last piece of this conversation. Are our hands particularly susceptible or at risk?

I think what we need to remember is any part of our body that’s exposed, it’s not really about the hands, but any part of the body that’s exposed. And if we think about our faces, of course, that’s always exposed. But of course, our hands are always exposed as well, because again, you know, if we think about even long sleeves and so forth, you know, that’s covered up with clothing.

But what about our hands?

And yes, this is again a lot of times for my patients who struggle with skin cancer, I even recommend wearing gloves when they’re driving, for instance, because it is way better than making use of sunscreen.

Another quick question for you. Chemical sunscreen versus mineral sunscreen.

Yeah, absolutely. Chemical sunscreens are a little bit different in the sense that it is a chemical that you put on your body. Yes, but it’s not bad for our bodies. And when UV light hits the skin, it will actually absorb the heat and neutralizes the UV light. But this is not bad for us. Physical sunscreens, on the other side, are actually more reflective. So it’s crushed minerals that you put on the skin. And when UV light hits your skin, it will actually reflect the minerals, it will actually reflect the UV light away from the skin.

Dr. Ben Wiese from the Ben Wiese Private Skincare Clinic. Where do people find you?

The easiest would be on the internet, drbenwiese.com.