Be A Sun(screen) Goddess

If you take my advice from last week and begin spending more time in the sun, please do so with caution. The days of iodine infused baby oil for a deep dark tropical tan are over.

Fortunately I didn’t totally damage my skin from perpetual and abusive sunbathing as a teenager. But thirty years later and age spots to prove my mother was right; sunscreen has become a requirement for my entire family.

Dr. Dima Ali explains in a featured article in americancancerfund.org, the different types of rays the sun emits and the effects of each.

Ultra violet or UV radiation is part of the electromagnetic (light) spectrum that reaches the earth from the sun. There are 3 different types of UV radiation; UVA, B and C.

UVC is the strongest wavelength but not dangerous to humans because it is the shortest and usually gets absorbed by the ozone layer before it reaches the earth. UVB is responsible for most burns. UVA is the least intense, but the most deeply penetrating and the primary cause of wrinkles. Both UVA and UVB cause premature skin aging, eye damage (i.e. cataracts) and skin cancer.

Although they are less intense than UVB rays, UVA rays account for 95% of the sun’s rays and are 30-50 times more common. UVA rays are relatively constant all day, every day and can penetrate through clouds and glass.

Even though UV radiation gives us an awesome tan, it damages the skin’s cellular DNA and can produce genetic mutations leading to skin cancer. Tanning beds are just as harmful. The tanning bed bulbs emit UVA radiation which is less likely to burn you but still attributes to premature aging of the skin.

UVB rays are strongest between 10 am and 4 pm from April through October in the US but can burn you all year round. You are especially vulnerable to UVB rays around snow and ice since 80% of rays are bounced back at you therefore causing you double the exposure.

Start protecting your skin today:

•Use sunscreen daily with an SPF of 15 or higher; reapply every 2 hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

•Cover up with clothing, broad-brimmed hats, UV blocking sunglasses.

•Seek shade, especially between 10 am and 4 pm.

•Avoid tanning and tanning salons.

•Keep newborns out of the sun. Apply sunscreen to all babies over 6 months old.

•See your physician every year for a skin exam.

Although a tan can look great, the long term effects are damaging and potentially dangerous.