Plastic surgery blog: Don’t be fooled by great winter weather

Who would not love a New Year’s Day with temperatures over 70°? Throughout Southern California, people were actively out and about exercising and enjoying the beautiful weather. According to the Orange County Register Huntington Beach pier and the surrounding beaches and boardwalk were abuzz with activity on Monday. Bicyclists, volleyball players, joggers, skateboarders and people running their dogs vied for space as temperatures reached the 70s. Some exercisers were obviously first-timers. For others, Monday’s outing was a regular part of their routine. Dr. Kim hopes that his patients who are out and about have remembered to wear sunscreen. Some patients are surprised to learn that they are advised to wear sunscreen in the winter as faithfully as they do in the summertime. It is a myth that winter sun is not as harmful as summer sun. All of the dangers that are associated with overexposure to the sun are applicable to both winter and summer sun. The dangers include premature wrinkling, brown spots and sun damage, as well as accelerated loss of elasticity of the skin. As a result, patients become candidates for a facelift, brow lift, and blepharoplasty prematurely. Dr. Kim explains to his patients that protecting their skin from the sun’s harmful rays must become a lifestyle choice and be carried out through the rest of their lives.