Summer is here at last!
Last weekend was a scorcher here in the UK and well, we could not be happier about it! The BBQs and picnics were out in force. Brighton beach was rammed. We all enjoyed the sunshine weekend.
But basking in the sun can be extremely dangerous for your health.
That’s no surprise to most of us. We all know that UV rays damage skin cells which then run the risk of becoming cancerous. It would be very wise indeed to stay indoors and out of the sun as the rays become stronger coming into summer.
Because, let’s be honest, the sun doesn’t shine much here in the UK. So when the sun has got its hat on, we’ve all got our flip flops, shorts and sunglasses at the ready.
And if you are intent on protecting your skin, you will have your hat on too. Whilst we are all aware of the risk of sunburn and UV rays damaging our skin, few us realise that in the UK, 2000 people die from malignant melanoma every year.
Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer. Over 10000 people are diagnosed with melanoma every year most of whom are young women.
Skin cancer can develop from sunburns, particularly if you were sunburned at a young age. Even if the area of skin that was burnt heals, some long term damage that can lead to cancer could have occurred.
Sunburn in itself causes great damage to the skin including redness, brown and scaly spots, drying and premature wrinkling of the skin.
Fair skin is naturally more prone to damage from the sun as it contains less melanin than darker skin. Melanin is a natural skin protector against harmful UV rays, so darker skinned people have more natural protection against the sun that fair skinned people.
There are many ways to keep your skin protected from harmful rays. Here are a few tips from the Chemist2You Team!
• Avoid the sun at peak hours
Staying in the shade between 11am and 3pm means you will be protected when the sun is at its most intense.
• Cover up
It sounds simple enough, but it is all too tempting to expose as much flesh as decency allows.
Wearing airy long sleeved clothing gives your skin that extra layer of protection it needs in the heat. Thicker and darker material absorb UV rays better than thin light fabrics like white cotton, however they will only make you feel hot and stuffy.
• Use sun screen and reapply it throughout the day
You need a sun screen with a sun protection factor of at least SPF 15. Applying sunscreen 15 minutes before you expose your skin to the sun rays will allow your skin to absorb some of the protection.
Waterproof sunscreen is a must of going in water as UV sun rays can penetrate through water. It also important to reapply sunscreen throughout the day; if you have fair skin it would be wise to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.
Don’t forget to apply protection under your chin, on your feet, on the tips of your ears and on the tip of the nose too!
• Protect your eyes with sunglasses which have UV protection
Even your eyes need protection from sun rays. If overexposed to sunlight, you leave your eyes at risk of cataract disease symptoms of which include blurred or double vision.
• Wear a hat
Wearing a hat will stop your head getting too hot, and prevent heat headaches. A hat will also create some protective shade for your eyes and face. Wide rimmed hats provide the most protection.
• Keep infants out of the sun
Newborns should absolutely not be taken into the sun. Young children too need to be well protected and covered up as much as possible as their skin is much more sensitive than adult skin.
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