The Sun, Your Skin and SPF 40 Sunscreen

Your body was designed to use the sun as a functioning tool for optimal health. It helps regulate your sleeping patterns. Aids in mood stabilization, and getting too little sun in the winter months can leave you prone to a form of depression known as a seasonal affective disorder. It also helps your skin make Vitamin D which is needed for normal bone function and health. You need the sun to thrive, but there is also a damaging side to sun exposure when it comes to skin health.

There are two types of potentially harmful rays that travel to the earth:
1 – UVA rays
2 – UVB rays

Over-exposure to UVB rays causes sunburn. UVA rays travel deeper into the skin. Both of these can affect your skin’s health as UV rays enter the skin cell, and processes in your skin’s growth and appearance are hindered.

How your skin is affected by the Sun UV rays over time:

• Skin can become less elastic
• Skin can become thickened and leathery
• Skin can become wrinkled
• Skin can become thinned

The more unprotected sun exposure you have, the earlier your skin will age. Even though your skin has the ability to prevent and repair the damage with the outer layer of skin constantly shedding and replacing skin cells (eg. skin peeling after sunburn), long-term damage remains.

With age, it becomes harder for your skin to repair itself and with ongoing UV exposure your underlying connective tissue becomes damaged. This will cause premature wrinkles and lines.

The much darker side of skin damage by UV light is a raised risk of skin cancer. As UV light enters skin cells it harms the DNA of your skin and can cause it to rapidly grow and divide. The growth leads to extra cells called tumours or lesions. These clumps of extra cells can be cancerous, or harmless – depending on your body. Although skincancer is less common among African Americans, Middle Easterns and Asians, people of all races and skin colours can get skin cancer.

To protect your skin health, prevent premature ageing and raised risk of skincancer, you have to take precautions:

• limit time in the sun, and choose shadier spots rather than direct sunlight.
• wear protective clothes, hats and sunglasses
• use sunscreen every day between 10 am and 4 pm when the sun’s rays are most intense.
• avoid tanning beds!

It is never too early or too late to start protecting your skin. Teach your children, and lead by example.

How to make sure your sunscreen works

• Use sunscreen labelled with SPF 30 – 50, especially in our harsh African sun. The number represents the amount, in minutes, of time longer that it will take you to get sunburned than if you had no sunscreen on.
• Make sure your sunscreen is not expired, the active ingredients break down over time.
• Use the correct amount of sunscreen for the area you are covering.
• Use sunscreen often and reapply when necessary. Perspiration and time spent in the water can reduce sunscreen effectiveness.

How will I get Vitamin D if I stay out of the sun?

• It takes a very brief time in the sun to source your Vitamin D. 10 – 15 minutes to the back of your hands, arms and face are ample.
• You can also get Vitamin D from foods or dietary supplements which your health care provider can advise you on.

We love the sun, but it is important to protect it from overexposure. Being sun smart is also vital in preventing early wrinkles, damage and disease.

Beyond Yourself Beauty and Wellness Clinic is committed to helping protect, restore and maintain skin aesthetics for our East London clients with high-performance products and treatments.

Call today for an appointment with our professional beauty therapist 076 042 5151
beyondyourselfrose@gmail.com

Please note: we are not medical professionals and always suggest consulting your doctor with any concerns.

14 Lance Street, Baysville, East London, South Africa