Sunny Dangers: 4 Ways to Protect Yourself from the Sun"s Rays

 

Sunlight isn’t evil. It’s a great source of Vitamin D and it can even help improve your mood, especially if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder. However, sunlight does have its dangers including painful sunburns, premature aging and skin cancer. If you’re planning to spend time outside, it’s wise to protect yourself from harsh ultraviolet rays. The following four tips should help you get started.

 

Choose Your Outdoor Hours Wisely

The sun’s rays tend to be at their most intense between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Stay inside between these hours or, if you have to be out, take extra precautions.

 

Use Sunscreen

If you’re going to be outside for any length of time, wear sunscreen, even in cloudy weather. For best results, pick a brand that protects against both UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of 30 or above. Double check the expiration date before using the sunscreen – it does lose its effectiveness over time. Apply at least one full ounce of sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before you leave the house. Reapply generous amounts of sunscreen every two hours or if your skin is wet from heavy perspiration or going swimming.

 

Choose Appropriate Clothing

Your best bet is loose-fitting, dark-colored clothing made from tightly woven fabrics. Some clothing comes with UPF ratings – the higher the number, the greater the protection. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a good way to check the weave of the fabric is to place your hand between a single layer of fabric and a source of light. If you can see your hand through the fabric, the weave is too loose to provide much protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

 

Wear Wraparound Sunglasses

Wraparound sunglasses from the Optometrists Clinic Inc are better than regular sunglasses or contact lenses because they help protect the sensitive skin around the eyes. According to the American Cancer Society, glasses labeled “UV Absorption up to 400 nm” or “Meets ANSI UV Requirements” block 99 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Those labeled as “cosmetic” block only 70 percent. If the glasses are not labeled, don’t make assumptions about the protection they offer based on how dark the shades are. The UVA/UVB protection comes from coating with an invisible chemical, not the color of the lenses.

 

It’s a bad idea to become a hermit to avoid the rays of the sun – after all, you’re a human, not a vampire – but it’s a good idea to take sensible measures to protect yourself from getting too much direct sunlight. A little care now can save you a lot of health problems down the road.

Categories: skincare, Sun, uv rays

Know Your Sun Risk

 

We all know that it’s important to wear sun protection when sunbathing abroad to protect against the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. But when at home, particularly in cooler climates, it’s easy to forget that our skin may still need protection.

If you are fair-skinned or spend large parts of your day outside, it is particularly important to protect your skin against sun damage – even in the UK. Some people are more at risk than others and so it’s important to know your sun risk.

 

Outdoor workers
If you have a job that means you work predominantly outdoors such as a gardener or labourer; you will be exposed to the sun for a large part of the day – including the times when the sun’s rays are at their most powerful. Protect yourself by wearing sunscreen at work and cover up with a t-shirt and hat. Remember that even when there is cloud or a cool breeze, the sun’s rays can still burn. The best sunscreens are those with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

 

Fair skin
The harmful effects of the sun vary depending on your skin type and people with fair skin are known to be most at risk from sunburn. If you have fair skin, it may be worth using a sun protector all year round. If you don’t want to put thick sun creams on your face, there is a wide range of moisturisers available containing sun protector. These will not only protect against UV rays but will also help safeguard against dry skin and wrinkles caused by the sun.

 

Children
Young people are particularly susceptible to sunburn as their skin is more delicate. They may also spend a lot of time playing outside and probably won’t recognise the telltale signs that their skin is starting to burn until it is too late. Ensure children wear a sunscreen especially designed for children and teach them to cover their skin and wear a hat in hot weather.

 

Treating sunburn
If you’ve spent too long in the sun and have developed sunburn, the effects can range from a mild tingle to a very painful hot sensation. Unfortunately, once the skin has burnt, the long-term damage has already occurred. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the discomfort and try prevent the skin from peeling. For mild sunburn, there is a range of after-sun products which will help cool the skin and keep it moisturised. Calamine lotion is also a good treatment. If the sunburn is more severe, has blistered, or is on a child, then you should seek medical advice.

Treatment for sunburn aims to cool the skin and relieve any pain. Applying a cold flannel over the area will help cool the skin, while moisturising lotions and creams will help keep it moist.

 

 

Sunburn can sometimes be accompanied by sunstroke which is a serious condition where the body’s core temperature rises to a dangerous level and can cause nausea, vomiting, fainting and in severe cases unconsciousness or even death. If you suspect someone is suffering from sunstroke, you should seek medical advice straightaway.

 

 

For more information about staying safe in the sun, visit: www.sunsmart.org.uk/

 

Categories: harmful effects, medical advice, seek medical, skin, sun protection, sun protector, sun risk, Sunburn, uv rays

How to Make Sure That the Sun Doesn’t Tan You

When it comes to anti-aging and the wellness and wellbeing of your skin, there is one tip that surpasses all others in terms of importance: stay out of the sun. Skin tanning has increased, especially as harmful UV rays start to penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere more prominently. We’re not just talking about lying on a beach getting a deliberate tan, either. Tanning can occur when you are going about your daily life, due to the prevalence of these harmful UV rays. It is a problem for both men and women, and something that all people should be aware of at all ages.

 

To protect your skin from tanning, you should ensure that you put in place a robust skin care regime. Prolonged exposure to the harsh sun can cause burns as well as leading to sun spots on the skin, but there are things that you can do to reduce tanning. These are natural ways that do not involve using sun blocks or sun lotions (many of which are quite ineffective).

 

It is important to use a sun block or lotion whenever you are out in the sun, but it is not enough to simply rely on this to protect you from tanning. The easiest and most convenient way of protecting your skin from tanning is to cover it up. Cover your hands and legs and your face when you are out.

 

A decent scrub can also help to remove tan from the skin. Every time you have been exposed to the sun, you should use a good scrub to remove dead skin cells and tan. If you don’t manage to do this every day, then aim for at least once a week to get the tan off your skin. Do not bleach your skin – ever. When you bleach your skin and then expose it to the sun, you are actually more susceptible to tanning than ever before.

Categories: aging, bleach, harmful uv, nbsp, rays, skin, tan, Tanning, uv rays

What is Tanning Really Doing to Your Skin?

There’s no such thing as a healthy tan, whether you’ve done it naturally or with the use of a sun bed. Exposing yourself to too much ultraviolet radiation is extremely dangerous for your health, leading to sunburn, eye damage, and an increased risk of skin cancer. In order to really protect yourself from this damage, you should educate yourself on the risks of the sun and how you can protect your skin in the future. Ultraviolet, or UV, rays are a type of invisible light given off by the sun and certain kinds of lamps such as tanning beds. There are differences between UVA and UVB rays, such as how deep they penetrate the skin, but both are associated with health risks and sun lamps emit both kinds. Depending on the kind of sunbed you’re using will depend on how strong the lamp is, and as such how strong the exposure to these damaging rays is. Studies show that a tanning bed can emit up to 15 times the amount of UVA radiation that the sun produces. This goes some way to showing just how damaging these rays are.

 

Exposing your skin to UV rays produces a tanned effect, which has become increasingly desirable in recent years. You may think you’re achieving that healthy glow you’ve been craving, but the reality is that a tan is the sign of damaged skin. Many people also mistakenly believe that tanning on  sunbed provides a certain level of natural protection from sunburn on holidays to sunnier climes. This isn’t true, and actually provides very limited protection from solar UV. It’s not all bad news, of course – sunbeds do help to kill germs and treat some skin conditions, such as rickets, eczema and psoriasis, but the UV radiation you’re exposed to far outweighs the benefits. You shouldn’t attempt to treat these conditions with UV radiation without consulting your GP first, as it can be very dangerous. One of the common associations with UV radiation is that your body produces the much-sought after vitamin D after your skin is exposed to it. Your body can change how much this happens though, such as your skin pigmentation, age and how much sunscreen you use. In addition to this, there have been no studies as to whether UV-induced vitamin D synthesis can happen without increasing your risk of skin cancer. You can source vitamin D far more safely from your diet, by eating more eggs, fish and fortified products like bread and cereal. Supplements are also useful if you’re finding that you’re not getting enough vitamin D through your diet alone.

If you are exposing yourself to solar UV radiation, you should try to protect your skin as best you can. Try to find shade where possible, and always wear sunscreen to protect your skin. Wear protective clothing, such as sunglasses and a hat, and try to avoid sitting in the direct sunlight between 11am and 4pm as this is when it is at its strongest. If you have young children, they should be discouraged from spending too much time out in the sun. If you are going to use sunbeds, make sure that you follow safe practices outlined by the staff and check that the bed you’re using has been labelled for safety, so that you know it is as safe as it can be. Too much sun exposure can be very dangerous, as well as causing premature ageing, so it’s best to avoid it where possible to keep your skin healthy.

Categories: radiation, rays, skin, Skin Cancer, solar uv, Sun Exposure, Tanning, uv radiation, uv rays, vitamin

Ways to Stay Ageless Through Your Lifestyle

The media has created a need for us to be ageless and ever-youthful, but how do you achieve that in everyday life? There are numerous surgical options available to us now, but for those seeking the natural route all is not lost. Make-up hides a number of ageing sins, but that’s not all – preventative measures can do wonders for your appearance as well. Here are some ways to stay looking young and feeling good as you age.

 

The sun is responsible for a large proportion of your ageing, so wherever you can prevent this damage you should. This doesn’t have to just mean wearing sunscreen though, although this is hugely important – your eyes bear the brunt of squinting which is one of the first areas of your face to age. Super-sizing your sunglasses can help with this, as it not only stops you from squinting in the sunshine, but also helps protect the skin from the damaging UV rays. And don’t forget to wear a hat and a scarf over the sensitive décolleté area, to protect against sun spots.

 

As moisturisers go, you should aim for natural, organic and nutritious ingredients. Olive oil is a surprising choice but one which can offer numerous benefits to your skin – it is loaded with essential fatty acids which can combat dry and sensitive skin. Opt for an unflavoured oil and rub in a small amount at night to keep your skin looking plump and youthful. This goes for the skin on your hands as well, as dry and wrinkled skin in this area can lead to an instant giveaway of your age. If you want to protect this area and reduce wrinkles, apply the same retinoid used on your face to the back of your hands and then add a layer of Vaseline. Cotton gloves can help to keep the treatment in place overnight and supercharge the process, so these could be useful for keeping your hands moisturised for longer.

 

When your eyes are strained, this leads to squinting to overcompensate, putting you at risk of developing eye bags and wrinkles, as well as frown lines. Ninety present of the time this is due to poor eyesight, because your prescription isn’t strong enough – an eye exam could correct this problem and save you a lot of time and worry in anti-ageing treatments down the line. But there are other unsuspecting factors contributing to your appearance – ever worry about how your commute is affecting your ageing? 80 percent of sun exposure occurs through windows, so if you want to ward off the sun spots, wrinkles and even skin cancer, you may want to invest in a window shield. You can purchase a clear window film which acts as a guard from the sunlight and UV rays. The average commuter gets around 200 hours of sun exposure from driving alone, so this measure could prevent 99 percent of these rays from affecting you. If you do happen to develop brown spots, lemon juice can be used to reverse the damage – a little lemon juice with water could help to fade the spots on all skin tones. Apply with a Q-tip before bedtime, and gradually increase to twice a day, however you should stop if your skin gets too tight.

 

Ageing is something which should be done naturally and gracefully where possible, but these are tricks which could make a huge difference in the rate at which you age. Drinking plenty of water, avoiding too much sunlight and protecting your skin with a moisturiser are the best basic rules to follow.

Categories: anti-ageing, lemon juice, lifestyle, moisturiser, skin, skincare, Sun Exposure, sun spots, uv rays