Can a Supplement Supplant Your Sunscreen?

We asked skin-cancer specialist Dr. Orit Markowitz about taking niacinamide as a preventative for non-melanoma skin cancer.

This column first ran in Valerie Monroe’s newsletter, How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, which you can subscribe to on Substack.

I had a drink — a perfect negroni, very refreshing, even without booze — with a lovely beauty-editor friend a couple of weeks ago who suggested I might be interested in seeing how ChatGPT answered a beauty question in the style of HNTFUYF. This friend might be a little … mischievous. “Interested” doesn’t begin to cover my reaction. Here’s what was generated:

Ah, darling, when it comes to beauty, it’s all about embracing your unique essence and enhancing your natural radiance. Remember, skincare is the canvas upon which makeup artistry shines. Start with a nourishing cleanser to purify and hydrate your skin, followed by a lightweight moisturizer to lock in that dewy glow. For a touch of glamour, a swipe of your favorite lip color and a subtle blush can work wonders. But the real secret? Confidence and kindness are your most captivating accessories. Flaunt your inner beauty, and let it reflect in every smile you share with the world.

What kills me (besides the overwriting and misinformation) is the way the bot captured the themes often talked about here even while accentuating the clichés. But darling? I remember one day at O, the Oprah Magazine, I shared a ride to an event with our editor-in-chief, a gracious (and quietly formidable) woman; for some reason, I addressed her as “darling.” Mortified, I think I said, “What the f*ck was that?” before we moved on conversationally. My point: Not my style.

Except with my granddaughter, M. I sometimes call her “my darling” or “my darling girl”—and though she’s reminded me I might refer to her as “my precious granddaughter,” she never objects. Were you ever anyone’s darling girl? I was, and it warms me still.

And now for a question from a darling reader.

Q: There was a study in Australia that reported that people who already had skin cancer and who took 1,000 milligrams of niacinamide (vitamin B3) every day prevented further skin cancers. BUT it can be very difficult to tolerate that much niacinamide.(500 milligrams gave me crazy heart palpitations). I wonder what the truth really is. Is it worth suffering the side effects?

A: You may be tired of reading about sunscreen, but the subject continues to be an important one, especially in these blazing dog days of summer.

It’s especially important to yours truly, as I recently found a small basal-cell skin cancer on my arm, which requires MOHS surgery next month. (I had MOHS surgery on my cheek eight years ago.) Though I’m familiar with the Australian study I think you’re referring to, dear reader, and though I took niacinamide supplements myself for a while, I quit when I decided to winnow my supplement intake (to just calcium, vitamin D, and zinc). So I asked dermatologist and skin-cancer specialist Dr. Orit Markowitz about taking niacinamide as a preventative for non-melanoma skin cancer.

“The literature about niacinamide isn’t robust,” she said, “but there’s no harm in taking a supplement if you can tolerate it.” The RDA for women over the age of 19 is around 14 milligrams — so 500 to 1,000 milligrams is a lot. The supplements can cause flushing and, according to the Mayo Clinic, a rapid heartbeat, which suggests — along with the less-than-persuasive studies confirming its effectiveness — that it might not be worth the possible benefit to you. Are you flush and rapid-heartbeat free? Markowitz with a caveat: Taking the supplement is only harmful if prescribed as a substitute for sunscreen. It is not. So slather up, slather up, slather up.

Originally published on July 23rd.