Sunlight risk: not only a day of sun protection

Finally it is summer and many sunbathers enjoy the outdoor season. The stay in the sun not only ensures well-being, but also has its drawbacks. Too much sunlight makes for sunburn, premature skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer.

With an information day about sun protection make various health organizations, associations and retailers each year around June 21 on the dangers of excessive solar radiation attention and raise consumer awareness of effective protection measures. In just the past decade, the number of skin cancer cases in American has doubled. According to experts, is responsible for this development, especially sun-related skin damage in childhood. Although a sunburn usually heals within a few days, the skin remembers of developing any damage and the risk during the life of skin cancer increases with each sunburn.

What makes solar radiation so dangerous.

Basically, solar radiation from different types of radiation, of which especially the UVA and UVB rays of the skin can be dangerous. In moderation, they provide for the tanning of the skin, with a too much but also for sunburn. UVB radiation only penetrates the epidermis. UVA radiation penetrates deep into the skin but at the same time and can here the elastic fibers attacks, so that premature skin aging is the result. It is also responsible for an increased risk of skin cancer.
Although the skin has a certain self-protection against solar radiation that is reflected by the browning and thickening of the top layer of skin to a so-called hyperkeratosis, but enough of this self-protection depending on skin type, only 10 to 40 minutes.

Additional protection must be.

In order to prolong the natural self-protection time of the skin, the skin should be protected by suitable sunscreens. The choice of a suitable sunscreen on skin type and the radiation intensity is dependent. In addition to the sun protection factor (SPF) of 6-10 over a medium strong protection with SPF 15-25 with high SPF 30-50 or very high protection SPF 50+ ranges from the basic protection with SPF up to high, is also a UVA protection to look for. This is indicated by a circle logo with the words UVA.

But it is possible with sunscreen time that can be spent without undesirable consequences in the sun, do not extend indefinitely. In addition, the best sunscreen does not protect against the dangers of the sun when it is not properly applied. The rule of thumb here is that every part of your body needs to be creamed sunscreen and reshaped regularly with about two finger lengths. In addition, direct sunlight should be avoided, especially at lunchtime and protected as far as possible the skin by UV-proof clothing.