Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Sun Protection

It is well known that sun light damages the skin, contributes to skin wrinkling and aging, as well as increase the risk of skin cancer. Therefore, whenever exposure to sunlight is expected, use a good sun screen after thorough cleansing and moisturizing. (Here is more on Cleansing and Moisturizing .

Sunscreen is any substance or material that protects the skin from UV radiation. Sunscreens are available in the forms of

  • topical lotion, cream, ointment, gel, or spray that can be applied to the skin
  • a salve or stick that can be applied to the lips, nose, and eyelids
  • a moistener in towels that can be rubbed against the skin
  • sunglasses that protect the eyes
  • Film screen that can be affixed to the windows of a car, room, or office.

An ideal sunscreen should protect from sunburn, skin aging and skin cancer, but the fact is that, even the best UVA+UVB sunscreens do not provide full protection; some UV rays always manage to get through. Secondly, it is easy to accidentally rub off, wash off or sweat off much of your sunscreen . So it is better to limit your sun exposure even when you are wearing sunscreen.

While selecting a sun screen, always look at the SPF (sun protection factor) number. This indicates the degree of protection against UVB rays. For countries like United States a sun screen with SPF 15 should provide enough protection as long as it stays on the skin. While for Asian countries SPF number 60 or even 90 is sometimes recommended.

For complete sun protection follow all of the following rules.

  • Avoid the sun during high-intensity hours. The sun’s rays are most damaging from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reduce the time you spend outdoors during these hours.
  • Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also, keep in mind that certain clothing styles and fabrics offer better protection from the sun than do others. For example, long-sleeved shirts offer better protection than short-sleeved shirts do. And tightly woven fabrics such as denim are better than loosely woven fabrics such as knits.
  • Use sunscreen. If it is inevitable to go under diret sunlight alway use a good sun screen with SPF 15 or higher. (SPF- Sun Protection Factor) In warmer areas even SPF 60 or 90 is required. However, before applying any sunscreen lotion make sure that it suits your skin.

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