If you’re one of those people who would love nothing more than a golden summer tan, then I feel you. However, although a tan might make you look healthier and more attractive, it’s not all that good for your skin and actually accelerates signs of ageing. This is why we see people carrying umbrellas with them to avoid the sun, and this is probably what helps them stay looking so young!
And don’t be fooled, even if you’re under an umbrella on the beach or walking on a cloudy day, you’re still exposed to the sun.
It doesn’t matter whether you turn red or brown, a tan isn’t good for you. More on this later. So how does the sun do so much damage to our skin and what can we do to protect ourselves from skin cancer, sunburn, age spots and wrinkles? Let’s find out!
How does the sun damage your skin?
Premature ageing
When we are exposed to the sun, we expose ourselves to two potentially harmful rays; UVB and UVA.
UVA rays (ageing rays) cause your skin to age prematurely, leading to wrinkles and age spots. A study carried out with 298 Caucasian women between the ages of 30 and 78 calculated that UV exposure was responsible for 80% of visible facial ageing signs. The sun’s rays damage the fibres in your skin called elastin and collagen, making your skin sag and stretch. Too much sun can even make some areas of your face appear darker than others, causing uneven skin tone.
UVA rays are also cancer causing and can penetrate through glass. One study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that skin cancers in male truck drivers were predominantly on the left side of their bodies. These findings were attributed to ultraviolet exposure to the left side of the body while driving, as UVA rays can penetrate car windows.
Sunburn
UVB rays (burning rays) are the rays that cause sunburn, which are, however, blocked by glass. A sunburn can be a first-degree burn that affects the outer layer of your skin or a second-degree burn causing blisters. If you happen to get badly burnt, taking some aspirin, a cold compress and after sun lotion with aloe vera can help you to cool down.
The fairer your skin tone is, the more likely you are to suffer skin damage from the sun. If you have very fair skin, your melanin content is different. Darker skin is less susceptible to UV damage because anyone with darker skin has more melanin which helps to absorb UV rays.
Skin cancer
Overexposure to either UVA or UVB over time can lead to skin cancer, with 90% of the most common types of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) linked to UV exposure.
- Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer but luckily, the easiest to treat. It can look like white waxy bumps or appear as flat, scaly and brown coloured patches on the skin.
- Squamous cell carcinoma presents itself as a firm red bump that becomes scaly or bleeds. It can also appear as a sore that doesn’t heal and often happens on the nose, forehead, hands and ears that are exposed to the sun a lot.
- Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer with possible signs being a change in the size and colour of a mole. It can spread to organs if not treated early. This is why it’s so important to get moles checked regularly by a dermatologist.
So, to avoid sun damage and protect ourselves from ultraviolet rays, what can we do? Here’s a list of what you should be doing to protect your skin:
Applying sunscreen
Applying sunscreen before you go under the sun is important to protect your skin against the harmful rays of the sun. Most people only use 25-50% of the recommended amount of sunscreen. On average an ounce of sunscreen (one shot glass) should be used on an adult body.
Some of you might be fooled into thinking that your make-up offers you sufficient protection. Foundations and BB creams with SPF only offer some protection and aren’t as effective as regular sunscreen, and are you going to reapply foundation every two hours? If you can’t go without make-up and don’t want to mess up your perfectly contoured face, then apply a broad-spectrum SPF higher than 30 before applying your make-up and look out for an SPF powder that you can top up with if you don’t want to apply sunscreen over your make-up.
Does the type of sunscreen I use make a difference?
Buy sunscreen that protects you from UVB and UVA rays. SPF protects against UVB rays but does not guarantee UVA protection. The thing is that both UVA and UVB increase the risk of cancer. Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF value (over 30) for the best protection.
By law, sunscreen products must include a sun protection factor (SPF) number on the label, which indicates the level of protection the product offers against UVB rays. The higher the number, the greater the protection.
- Low protection: SPF below 15, blocks about 93% of UVB rays
- Medium protection: SPF between 15 and 29
- High protection: SPF between 30 and 49, blocks about 97% of UVB rays
- Very high protection: SPF over 50, offers almost complete protection at 98%
The type of sunscreen you use is a matter of personal choice, whether that be a cream, spray, gel or ointment. Creams are best for anyone with dry skin, while sprays are a good option for parents, as they are easy to apply to children.
Note: check the expiry date on your sunscreen. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration in America) requires that all sunscreen retain their strength for at least three years, that gives you loads of time to use it! However, if the expiration date has passed, it’s time to throw it out. The UV filtering ingredients in sunscreen also degrade faster with heat and light, so store your sunscreen in a cool place, out of direct sunlight.
How often should I be applying sunscreen?
Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before going out into the sun and then reapplied every two hours unless you go swimming, in which case you should lather on another layer after 40 minutes of being in the water. Take note that the two-hour window starts from when you first apply sunscreen and not from when you step into the sun.
If you are swimming, sweating a lot or participating in an activity at a high altitude like mountain climbing or skiing (where less UV light is absorbed by the atmosphere) you should be applying sunscreen more frequently.
But does SPF block vitamin D?
While using sunscreen reduces your risk of skin damage, it may decrease your skin’s production of vitamin D. If you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough vitamin D, talk to your doctor about taking a supplement. Most people can get their vitamin D from dietary sources, without risking skin damage due to being in the sun.
Wear protective clothing
Did you know that some types of clothing can absorb UV rays and prevent them from reaching your skin? Thick fabric like denim prevents rays from passing through, however, in the heat, it really is the last thing you want to be wearing. Lighter colours attract less sunlight and keep you cooler, but unfortunately, more rays can pass through lighter fabrics. Some clothes are treated with a UV absorber and will carry a UPF label, so you can check how well they protect you from UV rays.
Avoid the sun between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm
The sun’s rays are stronger at this time. The FDA says that the amount of sunlight that reaches us in 15 minutes at 1 pm is the equivalent of what reaches us in one hour at 9 am. So midday, when the sun is at its highest, our exposure to the sun is four times as strong, which means we are four times more likely to suffer from skin damage or get burned.
Don’t neglect your eyes and lips
While most of us remember to apply sunscreen to our faces, we often neglect our lips. Lip balms with sun protection or a dab of regular sunscreen can be applied before heading out into the sun. This will avoid sun damage like actinic cheilitis (farmer’s lip) which causes dry cracked patches on the lips due to excessive amounts of sun exposure. Overexposure to sunlight can also lead to cataracts, which causes a cloud to form over the lens of your eye, creating blurred vision, double vision and sensitivity to light. So don’t leave the house without packing in your shades!
So what can you take away with you today? Protecting your skin from the sun is really important, not only to avoid skin cancer but to keep your skin young and healthy. Remember to:
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF value of 30 or higher.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours or 40 minutes if in the water.
- Stay out of the sun at peak times.
- Wear a hat and protective clothing and sunglasses.
- Share our article to help spread the message about the importance of protecting your skin this summer.
How do you take care of your skin throughout the summer? Let us know!
This is excellent read! I love how the information were presented and discussed. More power!