Importance of Sunscreen
By: BonebrakeTotal Views: 263, Word Count: 684,
In ancient times, the Sun was considered to be God and was worshipped by people around the globe. Even today, its importance has not reduced as it is one of the non-exhaustive energy resources and a continuous source of vitamin D. However, as we all know that too much of anything could be detrimental, same is with Sun. While long hours of continuous exposure to the Sun can be extremely hazardous to the skin, even moderate exposure to ultraviolet rays can damage the skin quite seriously.
Sunscreens have been there to help the skin guard against the sun rays since ages; however most people do not have much idea what sunscreen they must choose for better protection.
Choosing a sunscreen
The full for form of SPF is Sun Protection Factor. It is a laboratory measure that has been developed by scientists to measure the time skin takes to burn under UV exposure. It depends on the individual and changes from person to person. If you know how long it takes you to start burning without any kind of protection in the sun at noon, multiply it by the SPF number e.g. someone who burns in 10 minutes without protection, a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 will protect him for 300 minutes against burning. However, that is just in theory and not applicable to a practical scenario.
It is recommended that for basic sun protection, one should use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and the one that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. People with lighter skin who get burned easily should use a sunscreen with a higher SPF.
How to maximize protection with Sunscreen
- Sunscreen helps to prevent skin cancer – Sunscreen is a topical product that is used to protect the skin against sunburn and the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. Using sunscreen regularly can help you to prevent skin cancer and photo aging. Photo ageing is a change in the texture of the skin that gives the appearance of aging.
- It should be used even during short exposures to sun – Even if you are going to stay in the Sun for a small amount of time, you must remember to apply sunscreen before going out. It should be applied to all those areas that will be exposed to the rays of the Sun
- Cloudy days are not an exception – Many people think that the UV rays will not affect their skin if they go outside on a cloudy day. Actually the radiations get through your skin even while there is no Sun, and can cause severe damage. Hence remember to apply sunscreen even on a cloudy day.
- Cover yourself when out in the Sun – The best way to protect yourself against the Sun is to use sunscreen but it will be even better if you cover yourself when you are outside.
However, you will need to take extra care if you have a sensitive skin. Another important thing to remember is that the sunscreen lotion should not be applied only to the arms and the upper body, but also to the ears, the back of the neck and the face.
Applying sunscreen regularly is a good way to guard your skin and enables you to enjoy the fun of the outdoors without worrying about having sunburn. With wide variety of sunscreens available these days to reduce the damages done by the sun, there is no reason why you should not take advantage of this protection.
About the Author
Bone brake is a well known allergist. His practice encompasses naturopathy, herbal medicine and nutrition. Skin conditions treated include eczema, psoriasis and acne. He explored the treatment of allergies and allergic based conditions such as asthma, eczema and hayfever are by using different diets and techniques such as blood type diet, rotation diet, exclusion diet and kinesiology.
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