YOUR FACE NEEDS . . .

NOSE, EARS AND HAIRLINE A 5p blob of suncream for each area

NOSE: Try to use a blob of suncream equivalent to a 5p coin just for your nose. ‘We’ve all seen someone with a sunburnt nose,’ says dermatologist Justine hextall. ‘ But it’s really important to protect it, as this is a very common area for skin cancers.

‘What’s more, surgical treatment of skin cancers on the nose can be quite disfiguring. That’s because there isn’t much skin to play with on the nose, so surgery to remove skin cancers here can be quite complex — even for low-risk ones such as basal cell carcinoma, which tend not to spread beyond the skin.’

In general, she explains, areas that protrude — the nose, but also shoulders and the tops of the feet — are more vulnerable as they get more direct sunlight.

suncream may also get rubbed off our nose more easily. ‘ On the whole, we sweat quite a lot in the centre of the face, and the skin there tends to be oilier, as there are more sebaceous (oilproducing) glands,’ explains Dr hextall. ‘And we tend to rub our nose, so suncream will rub off a bit more.

‘ For the nose, I’d recommend a standard chemical sunscreen (common ingredients in these include octocrylene and avobenzone) plus a layer of a barrier cream such as zinc oxide on top.’

EARS: ‘You definitely need to put suncream on your ears,’ Dr hextall says. You need to cover the tops of the ears, the lobes and also inside the rim of the ear. Many people miss this last one, she adds. ‘ears are an area where we see a lot of skin cancers, especially in older men. ‘This is probably because men are more reluctant to use suncream and they’re also more likely to have short hair or a bald scalp where there is no protection from hair.

‘some skin cancers of the ear are considered high risk, as they may be more likely to spread to surrounding lymph nodes.’

HAIRLINE: Few people put suncream in their parting — but you should if you’re not going to wear a hat, says Dr hextall.

‘hair is very good at shielding you from sun damage. We know this because men who have had beards for a long time and then shave them off often have notably less sun damage where their beard was. But a parting is very vulnerable.’

Allow a 5p coin- sized amount of suncream for this — or cover it up instead. ‘I personally don’t wear suncream in my parting, I wear a hat,’ says Dr hextall.

FOREHEAD AND BACK OF NECK A 10p blob of suncream for each

FOREHEAD: ‘This is an area where we often see skin cancer,’ says Dr hextall.

To make sure your forehead is properly covered, you should use at least a 10p-sized blob of suncream.

People often dislike getting suncream in their hairline, so won’t apply it to the upper part of their forehead, adds Dr hextall. ‘ some people also tell me they don’t apply

suncream to their forehead — especially if they play sport — as it runs when they sweat and irritates their eyes.’

To overcome this, use a zinc oxide sunscreen or cream stick that physically blocks UV light. ‘Zinc oxide products often come in more matte formulations, so tend not to run as much, and physical blocks are less irritating,’ says Dr Hextall.

‘You can also get clear zinc products which might be preferable as they have a lighter texture and are less white for near the hairline.’

BACK OF NECK: This small area may be particularly sensitive to the sun. ‘The overall message in terms of sunscreen use is “more is better,” ’ says consultant dermatologist Bav Shergill, who adds that we should apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going out to allow it to dry.

‘The back of the neck is a classic place to burn, especially for those with short hair,’ says Dr Hextall. But don’t skip it if you have long hair. ‘You might tie your hair up part way through the day if it’s hot, or if you’ve been on the beach,’ she says.

‘In fact, if you have long hair which you usually wear down, the back of your neck will be especially vulnerable, as it won’t have been exposed for most of the year.’

Skin builds up a degree of tolerance to the sun, as when it’s exposed the light triggers pigment cells in our skin — known as melanocytes — to release melanin, the dark pigment that causes a tan. This is the skin’s attempt to protect itself, as melanin absorbs more of the UV radiation that damages skin.

But while skin that’s exposed to more sunlight may not burn so easily, chronic sun exposure will still cause damage over time, warns Dr Hextall.

REST OF THE FACE 2 x 10p for each side

To properlY cover the rest of your face and neck, Dr Hextall recommends at least a 10p coinsized blob of cream for each side.

‘The tops of the cheekbones, just below the eyes, are common areas for sun damage,’ she says.

‘often people miss these areas because they don’t like to get suncream too close to their eyes as they find it irritating. But around the eyes is another area where we see a lot of skin cancers.

‘My advice is to use a physical block like zinc oxide around your eyes, as this tends to be less irritating. This is what I do. And wear sunglasses.’

Don’t assume that a moisturiser that has an SpF is enough protection. ‘I always recommend that women swap their face cream with SpF for a proper suncream, at least in the summer, but I wear factor 50 on my face all year round.

‘While a face cream might have SpF, it doesn’t always offer protection against both UVA light (the kind associated with ageing) and high enough protection against UVB (which causes burning).

‘ We now know both types are associated with DNA damage in the skin, which can lead to skin cancers.’