Put Your Arms on Your Radar

Putting your arms on your radar

If you haven’t seen my arm gallery on this website, please check it out now. Once the skin displays these sun damage changes, one needs to dedicate much time, effort and money to reverse these effects of bad sun habits.

Despite people reasonably paying attention to their face, thinking about protecting the arms is a whole different ball game. While the face is only 4.5% of the body’s surface area (BSA), the arms are 18%, or ~ 4x the surface area of the face.  So, compared to the face, one needs to spend 4x the effort to properly protect the arms (in the amount of sunscreen & time expenditure).  People simply just don’t do it.   I see exaggerated sun damage on the outer arms, at the edge of the short-sleeve cut off line (on the upper arm above the biceps muscle), and at the wrist and hands. I call these regions the “Forgotten Zone.”  

Remember: *Any exposed skin is fair game for UV damage, precancers and skin cancer, including melanoma, the most fatal skin cancer. The face is not the only area that matters!  The increased number of skin cancers and precancers on the arms and hands in my practice confirms this story that people are lax with properly protecting their arms.

This puts arms at the top of my list for a thorough examination at every total body skin examination.  This phenomenon has encouraged me to create a new trend: a proper garment, sun sleeves, to help people properly protect this “forgotten zone.'' 

Proper garments will more reliably guard you against UV effects than sunscreen.  Most people only use ¼ or ½ the amount of sunscreen that will reliably protect according to the label.  In addition, sunscreen reaches its capacity to protect after about 2 hours and then it needs to be reapplied.  In contrast, a sun protective garment retains its full UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) all day, does not rub off, need to be reapplied, or expire!

Get smart and sleeve up! Dr. Jen wants to help you put this “forgotten zone” on your radar.