Gloves at the beach? Sunphobics lurk in the shadows

First, there’s the large-rimmed visor. Then the long-sleeved white cotton shirts and cotton workout leggings. Then there’s the 30 SPF sunscreen. And, finally, the gloves.


“I have about 100 pairs of gloves,” says Louisa Graves, a celebrity body parts model from Los Angeles who’s avoided the sun since her late teens (and as a result, refuses to reveal her age since she’s still able to model for actresses in their 20s). “They’re in my purse, my car, the drawers of my house.  Wearing gloves has been one of my top beauty secrets for maintaining flawless-looking hands.”
From Nigella Lawson’s cumbersome beach burkini to a hot new line of sun-protection gloves, extreme sun-screening is coming out of the shadows.
But is there such a thing as too much sun protection?
“I recommend reasonable sun protection, but I’m seeing people who are becoming sunphobic,” says Dr. Kenneth Beer, a dermatologist from Palm Beach, Fla. “They’re wearing full body sun armor, covering everything. I expect the parasol will be the next fashion statement.”
Karen Tom, a thirtysomething writer from Manhattan, might agree.
“I walk around with a parasol,” she says. “Even before I water the plants outside for five minutes, I spray myself down [with 60-plus sunscreen]. I avoid direct sunlight at all cost. It’s a vanity thing. It makes me nervous when I’m with my friends and they want to walk on the sunny part of the street.”

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Posted in: HEALTH