typically when you are taking a medication that makes you more sensitive to sun sunscreen alone is not going to be enough. you really have to have sun smart behavior. what this means is trying to stay in the shade as much as possible and you can follow the shadow rule. the shorter your shadow the more dangerous the rays of the sun. so when you look down and there is no shadow; typically that's around noon you look up chances are the sun is right above you and that's when those uvb rays are very harmful. most medications that make you sensitive to the sun are really making you sensitive to the uva rays so it doesn't always have to be a sunny day in order for you to have increased risk for burning. so don't be fooled by whether or not it's sunny or cloudy. one is you can follow the shadow rule but two is you really have to be sun smart. wear a hat when you can wear sun protective clothing if possible. apply a sunscreen of an spf 30 or higher up to an spf 50 after that it doesn't make much difference and reapply that sunscreen regularly and then avoid being in the sun as much as possible.
i am taking a medication and my pharmacist says that i have to be careful in the sun. isn't wearing sunscreen enough?