When you are outdoors or on the beach enjoying yourself, it is imperative for you to know the long term risk factors associated with excessive sun exposure on your skin. Skin cancer is usually caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. These ultraviolet rays are responsible for the DNA damage resulting in skin cancer.
Do you know skin cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States? It is one of the most common diagnosed malignancies, and about one out of every three new cancers arises from the skin.
Sun exposure between 10 AM and 4 PM is thought to be most harmful. So, the best way to protect this outer layering of your body is to wear protective clothing and to liberally apply sunscreen on your body. 90 percent of all skin cancers occur on parts of the body that are constantly exposed to the sun, like the ears, face, and hands.
Are you aware that people who sunburn easily are more prone to develop skin cancer?
People with light skin tones are more prone to skin cancer than those with darker skin tones. This is because darker skins have more melanin in the skin, and, it is this melanin which protects the skin from sun damage.
20 minutes of sun exposure is all that you need to get your daily dose of the valuable vitamin D.
But, in case you need to spend longer hours in the sun, generously apply the sun screen (with an SPF of at lest 30) all over you body, wear a hat and other protective clothing, so that, not only will you protect yourself from skin cancer, but, also avoid you skin from ageing early.
via:iht
Comments
I applaud your article regarding protecting skin from sun damage, but would like to make two points.
(1) It should be mentioned that protecting skin from the sun is a 365 day a year issue. That is, it is as vital to protect one’s skin during the fall and winter as it is during the spring and summer.
(2) Vitamin D is an essential element, but can be obtained from food and food supplements. It is not necessary to obtain Vitamin D by exposing yourself to the sun.
comiteskin.com
I was surprised that you didn’t mention that sunscreen use was nearly non-existent 50 years ago. It appears that the increased use of sunscreen has NOT helped the skyrocketing rates of skin cancers. Or that melanoma often appears on parts of the body where the sun wasn’t exposed (like the groin area). There is something truly wrong here! For now I’m sticking with an organic sunscreen free of synthetic chemicals (I’d skip it entirely if it weren’t for wrinkles/vanity reasons). I’m using Soleo sunscreen I bought online at Caren - www.carenonline.com but I’m sure there are others out there.
Great Post. I should note.. Although people with lighter skin tones are more prone to skin cancer, those with darker tones are not exempt from wearing sun screen. It was previously thought that the melanin in darker skin tones would provide %100 protection, which is true for Ultraviolet B rays, however, they are still vulnerable to Ultraviolet A rays which can cause damage to skin.
Roenick,
Tissera Tanning - Sun Tanning Facts
It is important to wear sunscreen everyday. I use Radiant Complexions Facial Sunscreen every morning before work. It is available at www.radiantcomplexions.com.
Good point Alan. A lot of people do not use sunscreen during the fall and winter because they do not visibly see the sun. However it is extremely important during these times as well as the sunny seasons to wear sunscreen. I use Remergent A.M. Moisture or High Intensity for my face. www.skinbreakthroughs.com It’s definitely worth it to pay a little extra for real science tested ingredients in your facial sunscreen. It is even recommended by Allure, Self, Prevention, etc.