Last month I took the whole family to see our dermatologist, Dr. Brigid O’Connell, who works out of Bon Secours Hospital and her private clinic in Fitzwilliam Square. Dr. O’Connell is a no-nonsense, straight-shooting woman with absolutely beautiful skin. We trust her implicitly.
After looking each one of us over from head-to-toe (literally), the good doctor’s advice was simple: wash with Cetaphil or Rowa’s Silcock Base (when our skin is feeling dry) and wear sunscreen every day. I repeat the later because it’s particularly important…“wear sunscreen every day”.
Ireland has one of the highest skin cancer rates in Europe. In fact, according to the Irish Cancer Society it is the most common cancer in young people (aged 15-44) and there are over 8,000 new cases diagnosed every year. That’s a lot of unnecessary worrying and suffering.
Protecting skin is simple. Wear sunscreen with SPF 15 for daily use and SPF 30 or more for times when you’ll be outside for prolonged periods (think beach, golf, tennis, gardening, and hiking). Protection from UVA rays, which cause wrinkling and sagging, and UVB rays, which cause burning, is important too so make sure your sunscreen bottle offers both. To stay sun-safe, always apply 30 minutes before going out and reapply every 2 hours or more often if swimming.
Thankfully our visit with Dr. O’Connell went well. If you haven’t seen a dermatologist lately, don’t wait. Skin cancer is both preventable and, when caught early, curable.
Our family Favourites:
Bull Frog SPF50, Coppertone’s Water Babies SPF 45, Hamilton SPF 50 and Quadblock SPF 70, La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 30 and SPF 60, and SkinCeuticals Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30. Most are available at Dr. O’Connell’s office, at your local chemist or online.
In an Irish Home 
Leave a Reply