Protect Your Skin From Sun

With various types of information

available out there, it is only natural

for you to get confused about whether

or not to expose your skin to the sun.

Well there are both pros and cons to

regular exposure to the sun.

On one hand, the sun rays are vital for

our daily well-being. They are helpful

in the formation of Vit D that’s

essential for calcium metabolism in the body. This backed by a mention in our ancient texts

about daily sun exposure to boost our energy levels, giving a general feeling of well-being.

Sun rays are of three wavelengths: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C depending on the wavelength

across the spectrum. UV-A and UV-B are the ones that damage the skin the most and

should be protected from.

On the other hand, it is advisable to protect your skin from sun as exposure to sun rays for

prolonged period of time can damage the skin. The face, neck and hands are the sites that

are most damaged, for obvious reasons. Chronic sun exposure can cause early wrinkling,

tanning of the skin, and a general premature ageing of the skin. The commonest complaint

for holiday goers is acute sun burn. Because of these side effects, skin protection prior to

sun exposure should be a daily regimen for one and all.

The various ways you can protect your skin from sun are:

A. Staying indoors during period of peak UV rays exposure.

B. Adhere to simple measures such as use of an umbrella, wide brim hats or caps, and

wearing protecting covering example dupattas for women.

C. Application of Sunscreen. Sunscreens are agents that form a screen or protective layer

between the sun rays and the skin thereby preventing skin damage. The protection

provided by a sunscreen is measured by its SPF (Sun Protection Factor) which is a ratio of

minimal redness of the skin caused by UV-B light with sunscreen applied to without

sunscreen. Sunscreens should be applied 15-20 minutes prior to stepping out in the sun.

Repeat application should be done 4-6 hours after the first application. Sunscreen should

be adequately applied over the face, neck and other sun exposed areas. For our Indian skin

type, SPF 15+ is adequate. The best result of photoprotection is obtained if sunscreens are

accompanied with other photoprotection measures such as use of umbrella, wide screen

hats or caps, etc.

Article Source http://www.skinclinicbangalore.com/post/protect-your-skin-from-sun/903

Published at Dr. Kisalay Saurav’s blog