How To Protect Your Skin From Sun Exposure
Excessive sun exposure accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging. Many skin changes that were commonly believed to be due to aging, such as easy bruising, are actually a result of prolonged exposure to UV radiation.
The sun's rays, which are called ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB rays) damage your skin. This leads to early wrinkles, skin cancer and other skin problems.
Being in the sun often over time, even if you don't burn, can lead to skin cancer. A tan is the body's desperate attempt to protect itself from the sun's harmful rays.
Wrinkles
Sunlight will damage collagen fibers. Collagen is a protein necessary for healthy skin and bones. As the collagen is removed, elastin, a fibrous protein, accumulates. The elastin triggers the release of an enzyme called metalloproteinases. These enzymes break down the collagen, which result in imperfect collagen fiber formation. As the process is repeated, wrinkles will slowly start to appear.
Wrinkles also form when free radicals enter our body. Free radicals can come to us via UV light exposure, as well as, smoking and chemical exposure. A free radical is a substance that possesses only one electron, instead of the normal two. Since electrons come in pairs, the free radical will actively try to replace its missing electron, by removing it from another molecule in our body. This can result in cell damage, ranging from cancer to metalloproteinase production and collagen breakdown.
Are tanning booths safer?
No. Tanning booths use ultraviolet rays. Makers of the booths may claim that they use "harmless" UVA rays. But both UVA and UVB rays cause skin damage. While UVA rays take longer than UVB rays to damage the skin, they go deeper into the skin than UVB rays.
Should I use sunscreen?
If you can't protect yourself by staying out of the sun or wearing the right kind of clothing, use sunscreen to help protect you. But don't think that you're completely safe from the sun just because you're wearing sunscreen.
How should sunscreen be used?
Use sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more. Put the sunscreen everywhere the sun's rays might touch you, including your ears, the back of your neck and bald areas of your scalp. Put more on every hour if you're sweating or swimming.
How To Select a Sunscreen?
Look for the AAD seal when buying sun-protection products. The AAD SEAL OF RECOGNITION has been established to recognize products that have been manufactured for sun-protection benefit and have met a stringent set of evidence-based criteria established by the Academy using FDA guidelines and that have been verified by a panel of dermatologists and an independent scientist.
Pearl Powder contains a natural sunscreen. Mix a bit with sunscreen and pat into face for a naturally boosted sun protector.
Good riddance!
Naturally, there are ways to reduce wrinkle formation. Reducing the amount spent in the sun is good advice. Drinking plenty of water hydrates the skin softens the wrinkles around the face. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and omega 3 fatty acids also helps in alleviating wrinkles.
In summary there is no good or safe UV light. Ultraviolet radiation exposure will cause skin to wrinkle and cause other serious maladies. The best line of defense is to limit exposure to the sun. If wrinkles form, numerous procedures can be done to eliminate or lessen the problem.
How To Protect Yourself From The Sun?
• Generously apply a water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to all exposed skin. Re-apply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating. Look for the AAD SEAL OF RECOGNITION™ on products that meet these criteria.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Use umbrellas, laundry additives, eye protection and window films/tints.
• Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.
• Protect children from sun exposure by playing in the shade, using protective clothing and applying sunscreen.
• Use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.
• Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun.
• Drink More Water. With the multiple activities planned during the summer months, the amount of water you drink might be neglected. Keep a filled container of water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. Flavored waters and sports drinks will also help to renew the lost nutrients and fluids that can damage and dry the skin.
• More Sunscreen. Many think that applying sunscreen to the skin once will protect them through the day. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every four hours to be effective against the suns UV rays. The higher the SPF levels in the sunscreen the better as this will give more protection from the sun.
• Moisturizer More. Dryness causes the skin to be red, itchy, and irritated. It also causes lines and wrinkles to be more prominent. To look your best in the summertime, use a Moisturizer that contains Vitamin C. Vitamin C will remove free radicals from the skin, repairs past damage, and helps to hydrate it better. The moisturizer/ sunscreen combination products will also add a barrier of sun protection. Exfoliate the skin more during this time to remove dead skin to have fresh looking skin.
• Stop To Eat. Being on the go means we might not take time to eat properly. The body needs certain nutrients to replenish the skin with collagen. Foods like green leaf vegetables, berries, fruit, and fish contain protein and other nutrients that will keep the skin hydrated and at its best. When your body lacks the food it needs, it will begin to run down and lack energy to renew itself and repair damage.
• Less Is Better. If you must wear cosmetics when out in the sun, keep it to a minimum. Start with a good moisturizer and bronzer for an all over sun tan glow. Add a moisturizing lip gloss and a touch of mascara for an easy summer look.
• Avoid tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you've been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.
• Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.
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