The rise in the incidence of skin cancers over the past decades is strongly related to increasingly popular outdoor activities and recreational exposure. Overexposure to sunlight is widely accepted as the underlying cause for harmful effects on the skin, eye and immune system. Experts believe that four out of five cases of skin cancer could be prevented, as UV damage is mostly avoidable.
Adopting the following simple precautions, adapted from the Sun Wise School Program can make all the difference. Shade, clothing and hats provide the best protection – applying sunscreen becomes necessary on those parts of the body that remain exposed like the face and hands. Sunscreen should never be used to prolong the duration of sun exposure.
Sunscreen is a pharmaceutical product designed to protect skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR). These products contain a physical blocker (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) which protects the skin from UVB (UVR which can cause sunburn) and UVA (UVR which damages the skin with more long-term effects, such as premature skin aging). Even though its effectiveness does depend on the amount of physical blocker in the product, they typically have a SPF (sun protection factor) of 30+. The best quality sunscreen will have 6% or more zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.
Sunscreens are made with 17 active ingredients. These ingredients come into two categories: absorbers (which create a chemical reaction to absorb UVR) and reflectors (which are physical barriers that reflect or block UV rays away from the skin). The majority sunscreens have a mixture of absorbers and/or reflectors. They are available in creams, mousses, lotions and moisturizers.
Benefits of sunscreen
Sunscreen lotions are extremely safe and effective. When worn daily, sunscreens help to minimize the harmful effects of UVB and UVA on DNA. They also help shield important proteins like collagen, elastin, and keratin, which keep skin smooth and firm. Some daily moisturizers now include zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as these ingredients are well known to help stop or even reverse some signs of aging.
Sunscreen lotions may be quite effective in preventing all kinds of skin cancers, including squamous cell skin cancers and its precursors, as well as melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
The long-term effects of not using sunscreen
When you don’t use sunscreen lotions, your skin have no sun protection and you are exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Whether from the sun or tanning beds, you invite skin damage, skin cancer, immune suppression, and cataracts. The increase in the number of diagnosed cases of these problems is primarily the result of our lifestyle choices as well as environmental carelessness, such as ozone depletion.
Given this knowledge, which is backed by decades of scientific studies, you can and should take measures to protect yourself by following these steps:
•Avoid unprotected UVR exposure at any time but particularly between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM which are the hours of peak ultraviolet radiation
•Wear sun protective clothing, including a long-sleeve shirt, a hat with a three-inch brim and sunglasses.
•Apply sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher to all unprotected skin 15-20 minutes before exposure and reapply it every two hours while exposed.
To get more free tips, reviews, information and advice on sun protection visit Sun Protection Reviews.
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