Excellent Ways To Prevent Sun Damage During Summer
‘Mr Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun, Please Shine Down on Me.’ Most of you might acknowledge these phrases from a baby’s rhyme. It has a phenomenal tune and brings out reminiscences of nice sunny mornings, seashores, and so forth. It has been taught to us proper from the time once we had been children that being out within the sun is nice for us.
And it’s partially true that reasonable sun exposure is nice for health. From being an excellent supply of producing vitamin D in our body, to generate an general sense of wellness, there may be completely nothing just like the sun. However, long-term sun exposure might do the other and trigger sun injury on the skin.
We do simply overlook that the sun is a really highly effective energy supply and the energy it delivers within the type of UV rays tends to significantly have an effect on our skin.
We received in contact with Dr Sejal Saheta, Dermatologist and Veneorologist, InUrSkn, who reveals all you could find out about sun exposure and the way it harms the skin.
How is sun dangerous for the skin?
Well, most individuals overlook that your skin doesn’t simply decide the way you look. It is the most important organ of the body and the one which acts as the primary defender towards each single exterior issue and its health might be critically compromised by over-exposure to the sun. And the sun’s rays are so damaging to the skin as a result of it consists of UV rays.
“Ultra violet rays are energy rays from the sun which are not visible to us and yet constitute a huge amount of energy that our body is exposed to. UV rays are also of two types – the UVA rays which affect the deeper layers of the skin and the UVB rays which affect the superficial layers of the skin,” says Dr Saheta.
The far-reaching results of UV rays on the skin are as beneath:
1. Tanning
This is probably the most primary impact through which case the skin develops pigmented patches on the sun uncovered areas.
2. Sunburn
Prolonged publicity to sun usually creates itchy red patches on the skin with blistering or peeling of skin.
3. Freckles and Lentigines
These are tiny red to brown spots that type on sun uncovered areas. Freckles are extra evident on pale skin.
4. Melasma
These are brownish patches seen on cheeks, nostril and brow.
5. Premature getting old
Aging of skin is brought on by injury or discount within the collagen and elastin underneath the skin. This leads to nice traces and wrinkles. UV rays instantly have an effect on the collagen and elastin ranges.
6. Allergic reactions
Although uncommon, these are seen on the sun uncovered space of the skin as tiny red or skin colored patches.
7. Thinning of skin and capillaries
In this case the blood vessels underneath the skin turn out to be extra outstanding.
8. Skin most cancers
It is seen extra in honest skin people with a optimistic household historical past. Sun publicity is a particular related trigger for a similar.
So how will we keep at bay the ailing results of sun injury?
Dr Saheta says, “Well as always prevention is better than cure and hence the focus always needs to be on reducing sun exposure by all possible ways. There is no substitute for the simplicity of covering up your body when out in the sun. Remember the following:”
- Full-length garments
- Cover your body
- Caps and Hats
- Sunglasses
- Use umbrellas
- For uncovered areas: Use a sunscreen
According to Dr Saheta, “Sunscreens are the best source of protection for exposed areas. Apply sunscreen before leaving home and refresh it every four to five hours if out in the sun continuously. The biggest myth about sun screens is that they are not safe to use on a daily basis. This is incorrect and as a matter of fact they are safe for children too.”
How to pick sunscreen?
1. SPF
“SPF stands for sun protection factor. It is a measure of protection from UVB rays of the sun. To help you understand this, let us take an example. Say, if your skin gets slightly sunburnt in 10 minutes then a SPF 15 sunscreen will protect your skin for 15 times this duration – that is 150 minutes. But this is true only for laboratory settings – the protection may not last so long in actual use.” Dr Saheta informed us. A sunscreen is your first line of protection towards sun injury.
2. How a lot SPF
There is a common false impression that greater the SPF ranking the higher the safety. In actuality a sunscreen with SPF30 is sweet sufficient for many Indian skin tones. However in case you spend a greater a part of the day trip within the sun, then I’d suggest a sunscreen with SPF50 or greater.
3. Broad Spectrum
A broad-spectrum sunscreen protects you skin from UVA rays additionally. UVA rays are inclined to prematurely age your skin. Look for a PA+++ ranking which plenty of reputed sunscreen manufacturers now point out as a measure of broad spectrum safety.
4. Other components
If you are inclined to get zits breakouts, be sure that your sunscreen is non-comedogenic. If you need to spend a day on the seaside, select a sunscreen that has water repellent properties.
But I have already got sun injury. Can I reverse it?
Dr Saheta advises, “If you find your skin showing any of the effects mentioned above. Please get in touch with a dermatologist. The doctor will treat the sun damaged skin with oral and topical medications.”
Also, it’s attention-grabbing to notice that fairly a number of indicators of sun injury like pigmentation and the unevenness in skin tone might be dealt with by a educated dermatologist. Pigmented skin and dark spots might be handled.
One can reverse sun injury with some procedures like:
- Chemical Peels – These are drugs which work on managed injury of the outdated skin and assist in growth of contemporary skin.
- Laser Skin Toning and De-tanning – Lasers work by selectively affecting the pigmented space of the skin. Laser publicity leads to lightening of skin and in addition night out the skin general.
- Skin Polishing – Skin sprucing once more works by managed abrasion of the outdated broken skin and stimulating contemporary skin growth.
- Skin Rejuvenation with Iontophoresis – Iontophoresis is a mechanism by which the dermatologist makes use of the facility {of electrical} ions to hold remedy into the deeper layers of the skin.
- Anti-Ageing therapies – Sometimes the injury to skin within the type of wrinkles and contours is close to everlasting. This might be helped by way of using botox and fillers.
With correct care and limits, the sun can turn out to be your friend and perhaps you possibly can stick with it singing that favorite rhyme of yours once more.
