Site Menu
Advice & Information
Additional Info
|
Introduction to Sun Protection
Sun protection isn't just for the pale skinned. For anyone that wished to add longevity to their skin, and ultimately their life, protecting your skin from the sun's damaging rays is very important. This is mostly due to the fact that the sun's effects are the highest risk in developing skin cancer.
Sunshine is a great mood enhancer and a necessity for our outdoor activities, however, excessive exposure can lead to temporary damage to your skin as well as long term risk to future complications. The most immediate consequence, a sunburn, is temporarily painful result to excess exposure. Long term, excess exposure can damage the skin making it prone to wrinkling and worse, the development of skin cancer.
When do you need sun protection?
Doctors will tell you that sun protection is needed every time you come into contact with the sun's rays. Realistically however we aren't always prepared but the key is not to be ignorant of the risks. If you think there is even a chance of prolonged exposure to the sun, take protection with you. Purchase a few travel size sun screens to keep with you in the car or at work. It is especially important anytime you know you'll be outdoors between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, when the sun is at its highest.
Understand you can just as easily burn even though the sun isn't shining. Overcast days are some of the worst times for being in the sun unprotected. And because ultraviolet rays can reflect off certain surfaces, people need protection from the sun when snow covers the ground and also when in the water, when lying or playing on the sand and even when on a cement or grass surface. Again, if you are going to be outside for long periods, just get into the habit of utilizing sun screen whenever possible. There are even many moisterizers these days that have some level of UV protection in them. So use what you can get your hands on.
Understanding UV rays
Ultraviolet rays are the different wavelengths of energy that are produced by the sun. The sun's energy is necessary to all human life, just keep in mind that long intervals can also be harmful. Evolution has developed inherent protections in tolerating UV rays, they just can be taken for granted as all that is required. To provide a concept of what your skin is up against, the most important protection against the damaging ultraviolet rays is the ozone layer - a layer in the stratosphere that absorbs most of the various types of UV rays before they reach the earth's surface. With that said, your skin is being faced with rays from the sun that have already penetrated with stratosphere.
Review our other article: Explanation of UV
Does that put it into perspective?
It is imperative to your health that you protect yourself against something that cannot be seen. The best way to do this is to enforce a new habit upon yourself. Applying UV protections to your skin whenever you will be within the sun's reach, as a a matter of getting prepared to go out for the day, will save your skin and prevent many life shortening circumstances - yes, it is that simple. The two elements that are responsible for skin damage are UVA and UVB rays. The sun also generates UVC rays, but fortunately these extremely damaging rays cannot penetrate the ozone layer and therefore pose no threat to humans.
Again, we are talking about wavelengths of energy. UVA rays are responsible for long-term skin damage because they absorb deep into the skin. No matter what time of day or time of year UVA rays have consistent strength regardless. UVB rays are a shorter wavelength and are what causes the skin to tan or burn. As with many species on earth, UVB rays help our bodies produce Vitamin D. UVB rays are not as consistent and persistent and their strength varies based on time of day, time of year, altitude or your distance from the equator.
Link to this article:
<a href="http://www.expressskincare.com" target="_blank">Introduction to Sun Protection</a>
|
Please VOTE for this page:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|