Sun Tanning - How to protect your skin effectively
Sun tanning is the darkening of the skin, especially of fair-skinned individuals, in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunshine (or a sunbed).The darkening of the skin is caused by an increased release of the pigment melanin into the skin’s cells. This pigment is produced by cells called melanocytes, and protects the body by not absorbing harmful solar radiation. However, having a tan is visible proof that your skin is being damaged and this could have a long term effect on your health, e.g: skin cancer (which is now an epidemic in the United States), or signs of ageing such as early wrinkling, brown age spots, blotchiness or sagging, older skin which looks older than it actually is.
A suntan has often been seen as attractive, though this is variable and susceptible to the whims of fashion. During much of the 18th and 19th centuries, fair, freckleless skin was seen as attractive, especially in women. This was because having tanned skin signified that you worked in manual labour, such as on a farm and in the employ of a wealthier person. Having fair skin meant that you were rich enough to hire other people to do these jobs for you. In 18th Century France, members of the royal court emphasised this point further by choosing to powder their faces to look as white as possible. This all changed, however, when famous fashion designer Coco Chanel came back from a vacation in the French Riviera with a dark tan in the 1920’s, igniting a new fashion craze for tanned skin.
Getting good sun exposure and a tan is, regardless of fashion, often beneficial and healthy to a person as long as it is done in a gradual and safe fashion with the use of protective sunscreen and monitored exposure. However, not much sunlight is needed to fulfill the body’s needs for Vitamin D. In fact, too much sun could lead to eye problems if 100% UV Protected sun-glasses aren’t worn, as well as weakening the immune system so it finds it harder to fight off diseases.
Today, the wish of some to look well-tanned, combined with the modern concern about overexposure to the sun, (which has been linked to melanoma) has led to the production of products that give the appearance of a suntan without any exposure to the sun. (See sunless tanning.)
A study by a Dr. Anthony Liguori and others, published in the July 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Part 1, suggests that indoor sun tanning may be addictive. The UV content of the sun’s rays stimulate the production of endorphins, resulting in a natural “high”.
To avoid sunburn, sunscreen, tanning oil or creme are used. The SPF number on sunscreen shows us how effective the sunscreen is, and the ones with a higher SPF number prove to be the ones more defensive against the sun’s rays on the skin.
To learn how to protect your skin effectively, simple steps can be undertaken:
Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 on an everyday basis, even on cloudy days and when you don’t plan on spending much time outdoors. You should wear sunscreen every day because dermatologists believe that as much as 80% of sun exposure is incidental, the type you get from walking your dog or eating lunch outside. If you don’t want to wear a pure sunscreen, try a moisturizer that has sunscreen in it.
Make sure the sunscreen blocks both UVA and UVB rays (these types of sunscreens, called broad-spectrum sunscreens, contain more active ingredients to help the sunscreen work better). Ideally, your sunscreen should also be hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic so it doesn’t cause a rash or clog your pores and give you acne.
Sunscreen needs to be applied thickly enough to make a difference. People often do not put on enough sunscreen to get the full SPF protection. If you’re not sure you’re putting on enough of the product - or you don’t like the way a lot of sunscreen feels, switch to a sunscreen with a higher SPF.
If you are going to be outside for a while, reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours and after swimming or sweating. If you’ll be in the direct sun, wear a sunscreen with a higher SPF, like SPF 30. If you’ll be playing sports, make sure the sunscreen is waterproof and sweatproof.
The sun’s rays are strongest between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, so take frequent breaks during these hours. Cool off indoors or in the shade for a while before heading out again.
Wear a hat with a brim and sunglasses that provide almost 100% protection against ultraviolet radiation.
Be aware that reflective surfaces like snow and water can increase the amount of UV radiation to which your skin is exposed.Source wikipedia.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_radiation
