I’m a dermatologist — these 5 common summer mistakes will destroy your skin

Tracy Swartz
·3 min read
Dr. Andrea Suarez wants you to avoid boozing in the sun, applying sunscreen with poor protection, buying sunscreen with insect repellent, peeling your sunburn, and burning ticks off your skin.
Dr. Andrea Suarez wants you to avoid boozing in the sun, applying sunscreen with poor protection, buying sunscreen with insect repellent, peeling your sunburn, and burning ticks off your skin.

Shorely you can’t be serious.

Just in time for Memorial Day, a board-certified Houston dermatologist is sharing five skincare no-nos for the summer.

Dr. Andrea Suarez, who goes by “Dr. Dray” on TikTok, wants you to avoid boozing in the sun, applying sunscreen with poor protection, buying sunscreen with insect repellent, peeling your sunburn and burning ticks off your skin.

“One thing we are not doing this summer is destroying our skin,” Suarez declared in a 2-minute TikTok that’s gathered 15,500 views over the last week. “Do not sabotage your journey, progress, collection of creams with these mistakes.”

Drinking in the sun

“Alcohol consumption depletes your skin’s antioxidant reservoirs, making your skin less equipped to handle the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun,” Suarez said. Atstock Productions – stock.adobe.com
“Alcohol consumption depletes your skin’s antioxidant reservoirs, making your skin less equipped to handle the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun,” Suarez said. Atstock Productions – stock.adobe.com

Suarez explained that excessive unprotected sun exposure prematurely ages the skin, leading to wrinkles and dark spots, while also setting the stage for various skin cancers. Booze makes the situation worse.

“Alcohol consumption depletes your skin’s antioxidant reservoirs, making your skin less equipped to handle the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun,” Suarez continued. “Furthermore, drunk people are not the best judges of hazards and are more likely to get a sunburn because they don’t realize they’re getting fried.”

If you’re going to be day drinking in the sun, Suarez recommends wearing a hat and sunscreen.

Applying sunscreen with poor protection

But make sure that sunscreen has good protection — Suarez laughed at a product that advertised an SPF of 6.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF of at least 30, which blocks 97% of the sun’s UVB rays.

The organization advises reapplying sunscreen every two hours or just after sweating, being in the water or toweling off. Reapply water-resistant sunscreen every 40 to 80 minutes.

Sunscreen needs to be reapplied at least every two hours, while bug spray is generally good all day. tiktok/@drdrayzday
Sunscreen needs to be reapplied at least every two hours, while bug spray is generally good all day. tiktok/@drdrayzday

Buying sunscreen with insect repellent

“Don’t buy sunscreen/insect repellent combination products because insect repellent doesn’t need to be reapplied as frequently as sunscreen,” Suarez said. “So always use insect repellent and sunscreen in separate products.”

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center says you shouldn’t need to apply bug spray more than once a day.

“Your skin is very vulnerable when you have a sunburn, so don’t go peeling this stuff off,” Suarez pleaded. soupstock – stock.adobe.com
“Your skin is very vulnerable when you have a sunburn, so don’t go peeling this stuff off,” Suarez pleaded. soupstock – stock.adobe.com

Peeling your sunburn

“Your skin is very vulnerable when you have a sunburn, so don’t go peeling this stuff off,” Suarez pleaded. “It increases the risk of infection, scarring, hyperpigmentation. Importantly, if you get a sunburn, stay out of the sun.”

Yale Medicine recommends relieving sunburn pain by taking a quick, cool shower or bath, using a light moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy, and drinking extra water.

Burning ticks off your skin

Tick season is already underway, and Suarez doesn’t want you to damage your skin by following an “old wives’ tale” that says you have to remove a tick by burning it.

“Instead, what you want to do is get some tweezers, some forceps and grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as you can,” Suarez counseled. “Just gently pull upward and then place the tick in some rubbing alcohol.”