Question:
I’ll be having a facelift in September of next year. My husband and I usually spend the winter (December to May) in southern Florida. I know I’m supposed to limit my sun exposure after surgery. How high of an SPF should I wear on my face when we’re there and what other precautions should I take with regards to sun exposure?
Answer:
My answer to this question really is a little beyond SPF. SPF is typically the sun protection factor that is the multiple amount of time that it takes a person to burn. For example, if it typically takes a person 15 minutes to burn and they have an SPF of 2 on – it would typically take 30 minutes to burn…however, it is even more important that people have frequent applications so a very high SPF, i.e., 50, does not give someone all-day protection. Our standard answer to most patients is to use a 15-30 SPF on the face and reapply every two-three hours. Naturally it is important not to sun bathe and having a facelift in September and wintering in Florida should not be a problem providing you use intelligent sun-sense.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.