MadDad said...

My son has acne, and his dermatologist says the best way to treat it beyond medication is lots of sunlight. I fear we may be trading one health problem for another....?

I say...

That is one of the most irresponsible pieces of advice a dermatologist could offer. Some people like to say that you need to expose yourself to sunlight in order to allow your body to create vitamin D. This is true to some extent, but the amount of sunlight your body needs to absorb in order to create sufficient stores of vitamin D is very, very small. Another myth is that tanning will get rid of acne. In reality, tanning can aggravate acne by causing dry skin and irritation. Additionally, many acne medications cause the skin to become photosensitive, increasing the chances of burning. I suggest you ignore this advice and/or look for another dermatologist.