Shade and Sunscreen
Do you remember the song dedicated to the class of 1999?
“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.”
It is a beautiful song, and the sunscreen part was funny but true!
Whether you blame it on the hole in the o-zone, or global warming, or a changing sun, we cannot deny that our healhy doses of sun baths can now more than ever result in harsh consequences when we do not take proper measures against the UV rays.
UV rays are high energy unseen light which can harm you in prolonged exposure. If you are near water the rays reflect off the surface and you have greater exposure to them.
We all have different results from sunburns depending on our skin types. For example, I have light skin but and I will burn red in 30 minutes without sunblock, then I peel. After wards I have a very dark tan. However, my friend will burn and blister if he doesn’t take preventive measures.
Aside from blistering, he will get headaches and even suffer from nausea. While those are short term effects that many people experience, long term unprotected exposure can lead to a variety of problems from skin dryness, to wrinkles, to - the worst of all – skin cancer.
There are three types of Skin Cancer; Basal Cell Carcinomas, Squamous Cell Carcinomas, and Malignant Melanomas.
Basal cell carcinomas makes 80 percent of all skin cancer cases. It is also treated the easiest. You can spot it by recognizing it’s appearance and characteristics; pearly, slow growth, raised areas which might or do crust and bleed and they are most commonly on the face, neck and hands.
Squamous cell carcinomas makes 16 percent of skin cancer cases. You can recognize it as red or pink scaly bumps on the face, usually, and on the hands and ears. With early detection these are also treated easily.
The most serious of all cancers only makes 4 percent of cases and is known as malignant melanomas. They do have the potential to be fatal but as with most cancers they can be treated successfully if caught early. You should look out for dark brown or black flat spot with irregular borders, they can later change shape or color. This type of cancer is also known to grow from preexisting benign moles.
But your skin is not the only part of your body that is in danger. It is important to protect your eyes as well.
Your eyes are very vulnerable to damage against the sun and once your eyes are damaged by UV rays, the situation cannot be reversed. Eye conditions can range from cataract, pterygium and cancers of the eye and eyelids. You eye color can play a role to light sensitivity as well increasing the chance of migraine, and nausea due to the sun.
According to the Reuters article here, “expert ophthalmologist and eye plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs of Harvard Eye Associates, based in Laguna Hills and San Clemente, cautions patients to limit and protect themselves from sun exposure when levels of UV radiation are particularly high — between 10:00a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Especially on overcast days, at high altitude, or on reflective surfaces such as water and sand, UV rays are particularly damaging.”
The key of course is prevention. It is best to know what type of skin you have and what type of protection works best. Always trust SPF15 as a minimum when being in direct sunlight. If your skin is fairer you may consider a higher SPF sunscreen, and if you are active or swimming, a water proof one may work best.
Proper application is important. You should start with your face, neck and ears and work down your body with even and complete coverage. Have a friend apply sunscreen to areas you cannot reach. Remember to reapply every 1-2 hours hours if you are swimming.
Proper sunglasses with UV protection paired up with sunscreen goes a long way. You can also choose to wear a hat to both protect and keep you cooler. Consider wearing lighter colored garments so to reflect the light rather than absorb it also keeping you cooler. Even with clothing, it does not hurt to wear sunblock underneath depending on the density of the garment, light of course will still penetrate the clothing and get to your skin with lighter fabrics.
Men are more vulnerable to sun damage since women tend to wear make up and lipstick. An SP chapstick goes a long way and SPF skin protector (really a manly term for facial mosturizer for men) can protect as much if not more as make up.
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