I love getting out in the sun! I can’t help but want to soak up those rays, get my dose of Vitamin D, and enjoy the heat that comes with the summer months. I am however, conscious of the damage excess sun exposure has on skin cells.
So what to do? How do we balance protecting the skin while still ensuring that we get our daily dose of healthy Vitamin D?
What I recommend to my patients is to consider exposing bare skin for a small amount of time to the sunshine before adding sunscreen or protective clothing.
Vitamin D is made in the skin on exposure to UVB lighting. In Canada, as a general rule, from May-September (when your shadow is taller than you are) you will be able to get enough sun to convert your own Vitamin D. It only takes about 1/2 the time it would to turn your skin pink to get your daily dose of Vitamin D. Of course, the time of day you expose your skin and your natural skin tone will vary this timing but, it would be anything from 15 min to a couple of hours.
Once you’ve got your daily dose, then I suggest using a minimum of SPF 30 all over your skin. Alternatively, long sleeves and pants or taking a break in the shade are other ways of protecting your skin.
Outside of these summer months I do recommend to all my patients to consider taking a Vitamin D supplement. Having your vitamin D levels tested is the best way to know what is the most appropriate dose for you, but generally speaking 1000-2000IU/day is considered a safe dose.
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