Dr. Alex's Blog: New FDA Sunscreen Regulations

Monday, April 2, 2012

New FDA Sunscreen Regulations

On June 14, 2011 the FDA announced new requirements for over-the-counter sunscreen products. In the past the only labeling requirement has been the SPF value, which measures how many times longer a person can be in the sun before getting sunburned after applying the sunscreen compared with not applying it. This does a good job in addressing the UVB damage, which causes burns. But there is another part of the ultraviolet spectrum called UVA which causes skin cancer and premature aging. Beginning in the summer of 2012, sunscreens with UVA and UVB protection and SPF of at least 15 will be labeled "broad spectrum." Be sure to look for this on the label when deciding on a product. The other change will be that the maximum SPF value will be 50, so any products with SPF value of greater than 50 will be labeled SPF 50+. This is because sunscreens with SPF greater than 50 have not shown to be more protective against premature aging, sunburns, and skin cancer when compared to those with SPF 50. I recommend daily use of a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30.

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Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD was raised in Los Angeles, CA. He attended UCLA for college and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Biology in 1998. He received many accolades including Phi Beta Kappa, College Honors, Departmental Honors, Goldenkey International Honour Society, and Mortar Board National Honors Society.

In 2000, Dr. Alex moved to Nashville, TN to attend the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s distinguished Medical Scientist Training Program. With scholarships from the National Institutes of Health and the Canby Robinson Society, he graduated with an MD and a PhD. Dr. Alex completed his post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Alex has had clinical training in dermatology at Vanderbilt University, UC Irvine, USC, UCLA, University of New Mexico, Veteran’s Affairs Hospitals in Nashville, TN, Albuquerque, NM, Long Beach, CA, and Los Angeles, CA, as well as in various private clinics in southern California. He is also certified in the injection of Botulinum toxin and dermal fillers as well as in the use of lasers for cosmetic applications.

Dr. Alex has done research for over a decade. His interest in research was sparked early in college when he worked in a nephrology lab. He then spent four years in a molecular biology lab in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA under the direction of Harold G. Martinson, PhD. His dissertation in graduate school was in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology in the laboratory of James E. Sligh, MD, PhD where he studied genetic factors involved in photo-aging of the skin and in non-melanoma skin cancer. He has given oral and poster presentations at numerous conferences including the American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology, and American Society for Human Genetics. He has publications in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, and Cardiovascular Toxicology. He is also a contributing author for the Textbook of Aging Skin.

Dr. Alex has held a number of leadership positions including University of New Mexico School of Medicine Resident Voice committee member, Committee of Interns and Residents member, Dermatology Interest Group Association president and founding member, Executive Board member of Vanderbilt Hillel, Vanderbilt University MSTP Physician Scientist Speaker Series Committee member, Vanderbilt University Careers in Medicine Interest Group member, Vanderbilt University MSTP Student Advisory Committee member, and Vanderbilt University Dermatology Interest Group president. He has also participated in numerous service activities including Miles for Melanoma, Sun Protection Project, Camp Discovery, Links for Locks, and the Shade Tree Clinic.

At Alex Eshaghian Medical, Dr. Alex is translating his research in photo-aging to his clinical practice. His passion is to prevent signs of aging in the skin to make patients look and feel their best.