Dr. Jones practices dermatology at Medical Specialty Clinic, 27 Medical Center Drive, with Dr. Patrick Teer. The doctors at the clinic also specialize in heart disease, cancer and blood disorders, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and colon.
More info on the clinic...
Other stories with our doctors
Your risk of getting sunburn and harming your skin depends on your skin type. Which skin type are you?
• Type 1: Pale white skin that always burns and never tans.
• Type 2: White skin that burns easily and tans minimally.
• Type 3: White skin that burns moderately and tans gradually to light brown.
• Type 4: Beige or lightly tanned skin that burns minimally and always tans well to moderately brown.
• Type 5: Moderate brown or tanned skin that rarely burns and tans profusely to dark.
• Type 6: Dark brown or black skin that never burns and is deeply pigmented.
People with skin types 1, 2 and 3 are at greatest risk in the sun.
– Source, American Academy of Dermatology
'There's no such thing as a healthy tan'
When the weather is warm, people head out for the pool or the beach in search of a good tan. Many others get their tan started with trips to the tanning bed.Their search for that healthy look from a tan is actually an unhealthy practice that is damaging their skin and could be causing skin cancer, says dermatologist Dr. Mac Jones with the Medical Specialty Clinic. “There’s no such thing as a healthy tan.”
Dermatologists like Dr. Jones and the American Academy of Dermatology warn that harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, tanning beds, and sunlamps can damage the immune system; cause premature aging of the skin, giving it a wrinkled, leathery appearance; and cause skin cancer, including melanoma, a serious, potentially deadly cancer.
In fact, skin cancer cases are increasing, Dr. Jones says. More than 1.3 million cases will be diagnosed this year. “One in 60 people today will get melanoma. By 2010, estimates are that one in 50 people will get melanoma.”
Dr. Jones, a board-certified dermatologist, answers frequent questions about tanning…
Doesn’t a tan protect my skin from sunburn?
Yes, a tan is the body’s way to protect the skin, but to get that tan, you’ve just exposed your skin to unnecessary radiation.
Aren’t tanning beds less harmful than the sun?
No. It is true that tanning beds and sunlamps emit mostly UVA radiation, and that these rays are not as likely to cause sunburn like the UVB rays that come from the sun. Research shows, however, that UVA rays have a suspected link to melanoma, damage to the immune system, and premature skin aging. You will never get a dermatologist to recommend a tanning bed to protect your skin so you don’t get sunburn. Tanning beds have three to four times the natural intensity of sunlight.
Don’t I need some sunlight to stay healthy?
Yes, you do. However, your walk out to the mailbox each day is enough sunlight to give your body the daily dose of Vitamin D it needs.
How much sunscreen should I use?
When outdoors, wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 and apply it every few hours. It will absorb 93 percent of the sunburning radiation. Sunscreen with higher protection factors aren’t necessary; the amount of increased protection that they give is statistically insignificant.
I really want a tan. Is there anything I can do?
If you are dead set on getting a tan, moderation is the key.
• Try a spray-on tan product, which are looking more natural these days.
• Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 and gradually you will see a tan develop.
What does skin cancer look like?
You should visit your dermatologist if you see an unusual mole, a scaly patch or a sore that doesn’t heal. You could have a pre-cancerous spot on your skin or cancer.
It’s important to protect your skin from harmful radiation when outdoors and to avoid the use of tanning beds and sunlamps, Dr. Jones says. “Dermatologists see a lot of harmful, bad tans. We are also seeing far too many cases of skin cancer.”