Your body needs sunlight for vitamin D, not naturally found in many foods. But if you read the labels, you’ll see many everyday foods that have added vitamin D.
So, perhaps sun exposure is less critical. But then again, being outside feels good, and being active outdoors is better than watching TV. But it is possible to protect yourself from the sun’s damaging effects and still enjoy yourself outside.
The dangers of sun exposure
Right away, the first danger is sunburn. When magnified, sunburned skin shows damaged blood vessels and cells. With repeated sunburns, skin looks dry, leathery, discolored and prematurely wrinkled. The skin seems thicker, but it is weaker and bruises more easily.
But the most serious threat from the sun is skin cancer, the most common of all cancers. Most skin cancers seem connected to sun damage.
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How to prevent sun damage
So, how do you prevent sun damage? Here are tips to protect your skin from the sun.
- Wear a hat that shades your face, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that have 99 – 100% UV absorption.
- Use sunscreen, even when it is cloudy outside.
- Apply an ounce of sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before you go outside.
- Use lip balm with an SPF of 30.
- Wear long-sleeves and long pants. Dark colors and tightly woven fabrics block the sun better than light colors and loosely woven fabrics.
- Also, look for clothes with special sun-protective qualities.
- Use water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30+.
- Water and sand reflect damaging sun rays.
- Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, every hour if you swim or sweat.
- Limit your time in the sun between 10 am and 3 pm because the sun’s rays are most intense then.
- Find some shade!
- Keep babies under 6 mos. old covered completely and in the shade.
- Be even more careful if you take antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatories, blood pressure meds, and chemotherapy that make you more sensitive to the sun.
Wearing sunscreen prevent sun damage
What is the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) in sunscreen?
The sun protection factor (SPF) describes how well the sunscreen protects you from UVB, the sun’s burning rays. Most sunscreens also absorb the UVA, or ultraviolet A rays, too. The higher the SPF number, the more sun protection. Sunscreens with at least 30SPF are standard recommendations for everyone. Anyone with precancer or skin cancer should use a higher SPF sunscreen. You can easily find SPFs of 45 or even higher.
Going outside is still good for your physical and mental health! But staying out of the sun is still the best way to prevent sun damage. So, when you do go outside, wear sunscreen.