While you take advantage of the summer sun, remember not to take sunscreen for granted. Even though the sun’s rays provide you with healthy doses of vitamin D, they can have harmful effects on your health as well.
Preventative measures can be taken, such as wearing sunscreen, and there are many facts to keep in mind when choosing and applying sunscreen.
The sun is a wonderful part of life, but it can also be a dangerous one if appropriate steps are not taken to help prevent harmful health effects. Sunburn -- or even suntan -- is only one form of damage that the sun can have on your body.
Other things include wrinkles, freckles, cataracts and snow blindness, which is sunburn that occurs on the cornea of the eye, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
During the day, the sun releases its strongest form of UV rays from approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Optimum protection should be used at this time, even if that means remaining indoors or sitting in the shade.
A helpful tip during sunny days is to look at your shadow: If it is shorter than your height, take to the shade. However, even on cloudy days up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays can pass through the clouds, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Also, take into account that the type of sunscreen you use definitely plays a role in the type of protection you will receive.
Most sunscreens only protect your skin from UVB rays, but being conscientious about buying broad-spectrum sunscreen, which guards against both UVB and UVA rays, will help reduce your risk of getting burned and potentially developing cancer.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that your sunscreen is not only broad-spectrum but that it has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Making sure to use an adequate amount of sunscreen is also important.
The AAD recommends applying one ounce (about one shot glass full) of sunscreen to the exposed areas of your skin, including your lips, at least 15 minutes before going outside so that the sunscreen has time to soak into your skin.
Reapplying is also an important step and should be done after swimming or sweating heavily, or about every two hours.
By June, the Food and Drug Administration will have begun to regulate changes in the marketing of sunscreen. Labels will explain that “broad-spectrum” protects against both UVB and UVA rays, skin cancer and aging as well as sunburn will be reduced if the sunscreen is used appropriately, and the misleading terms “waterproof” or “sweat proof” will be abolished.
Instead, sunscreens will be made to be “water-resistant” for up to 40 or 80 minutes.
Remember that sunscreen cannot single-handedly protect you from the harmful effects of the sun, so take other precautions as well. And enjoy the sun without feelin’ the burn!
