Every year millions of people are treated for skin cancer due to ultraviolet radiation exposure. A few simple steps can help protect your skin.
Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen daily — especially to your face – especially during UV radiation peak hours (10am-4pm). Reapply every two hours, or more frequently if swimming or sweating heavily. Seek shade during these peak times; when UV radiation is strongest.
Sunscreen
Daily sunscreen use is one of the easiest and most essential ways to protect your skin from sunburn, early skin aging and cancer. Sunscreen can also make other skincare products more effective – helping you achieve beautiful and healthy skin!
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher to all exposed areas, and reapply as instructed on its label or every two hours (after swimming or sweating). It’s also wise to reapply after towel drying or sweating.
Broad spectrum sunscreens offer protection from both UVA and UVB rays, which are known to cause skin aging such as wrinkles and fine lines while UVB rays cause sunburn and cancer. You can identify such sunscreens by looking for the words “broad spectrum” on their labels.
There are various sunscreen products to choose from, such as lotions, gels, ointments, wax sticks and sprays. Each type has its own advantages; some people may prefer creams for dry or sensitive skin while others like the ease of application provided by gels. Spray sunscreens may be convenient; just be sure that after shaking the bottle before use so that a uniform coating of product is achieved.
Most dermatologists advise creating a physical barrier against harmful UV rays by wearing light-colored, loose fitting, long sleeved clothing with long sleeve length, wide-brimmed hat and UV blocking sunglasses.
Shade
Shade can provide essential UV ray protection. While people of colour tend to have greater natural protection from the sun’s UVA (ageing) and UVB (burning) rays than people with lighter skin tones, shade still should be employed as part of a comprehensive UV defense strategy.
Seeking shade reduces the effects of intense sunshine, while wearing protective clothing, wide brimmed hats, sunglasses and sunscreen provides effective methods of sun protection. Overexposure to UV rays can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage as well as increase cancer risks.
Shade may provide some protection from the sun, but it is important to remember that UV rays can still reach our skin even on cloudy or cooler days and be reflected off surfaces like water, sand, concrete and snow. Furthermore, it is wise to seek shelter during the peak sun hours of 10 am to 4 pm daily daylight saving time exposure (discussed later in this guideline). Shade structures like trees and umbrellas offer different levels of UV protection depending on size, shape, density of foliage as well as their ability to filter UV rays out; for optimal UV ray filtering capabilities to maximize protection consider purchasing structures made with materials with UPF ratings which display how effectively they protect from UV radiation.
Hats
Your head and neck skin is more vulnerable to sun damage than other parts of your body, making it particularly susceptible to sunburn. Furthermore, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas (two of the most prevalent forms of skin cancer) commonly form on this delicate area. Hats provide additional protection from UV rays while shielding eyes from its harsh glare.
Hats that provide sun protection vary in terms of style and effectiveness; two of the key considerations should be how much skin they cover and the UV radiation it blocks; ideally, their brim should cover as much skin as possible while baseball caps and visors with narrow brims only shade the face without offering sufficient coverage to shield ears and neck from UV rays.
Fabric choice plays an integral part in selecting a suitable hat; dark shades tend to absorb UV rays and block them from reaching skin, while lighter hues allow more penetration. Tightly woven fabrics that have been treated with special ingredients offer better protection than more sheer or loosely constructed ones. To be certain that you purchase one with adequate UV protection, check its UPF rating; this number measures how much UV passes through fabric to your skin from behind it – UPF 50 or higher will block out 98 percent of harmful rays from reaching skin surface!
Sunglasses
The skin surrounding the eyes is delicate and thin, leaving it highly susceptible to sun damage. Too much UV exposure often manifests itself with symptoms like sunburn (photokeratitis) or red eyes (photoconjunctivitis), while it can penetrate cornea and lens structures which could lead to cataracts or macular degeneration if left exposed for too long. Sunglasses provide crucial UV radiation protection.
When buying sunglasses, look for ones with UV protection labels. UV-blocking lenses filter or reflect both UVA and UVB rays – the types of sunlight which cause sunburn – to reduce sunburn risk. It is wise to wear sunglasses year-round even on overcast days as UV rays can reach through clouds to your skin as well as reflecting off water surfaces, snow banks or surfaces such as beaches.
At first, consider the frame’s shape, fit, and color; some frames may be lighter and more comfortable to wear, while extremely dark lenses could cause your pupils to dilate over time, leading to fatigued eyes and making it hard for you to see properly if worn while driving or doing other outdoor activities – something extremely dark lenses can do. It would also be wise to keep a pair of clear or light-colored sunglasses handy as spares just in case of such emergencies!