How does the sun affect your skin?

If we protect ourselves correctly and we try not to exceed the time we spend under the sun, it may not be so bad for our health. In fact, it has been proved that the sun can bring us both physical and emotional benefits. However, most of us spend too many hours under the sun and we don’t take the corresponding measures of protection. Therefore, this affects our skin and our overall health without us being aware of it. How does the sun affect your skin?

How does the sun affect your skin?

Melanin is the pigment that our skin produces when we are exposed to the sun. It absorbs the solar rays and acts as a natural protector against the sun. What does this mean? When we get tuned, although for us it is a sign of beauty and health, actually, it means our body is fighting against ultraviolet rays. Bad news are that this natural mechanism of defense isn’t enough to palliate the negative effects of these rays.

These rays get deeply into our skin and have consequences on our skin. The damages tend to appear in the long run and include spots, the premature aging of the skin, the loss of elasticity and several diseases, such as cancer. Therefore, the question “How does the sun affect our skin” has a simple answer:  negatively, as it causes skin anomalies and contributes into the apparition of various dermatological and non-dermatological diseases.

It is crucial to be conscious about the importance of the correct protection of our skin. Only by being conscious about it, will we prevent its negative consequences. Even though people have more information about it, a lot of people keep making the same mistakes and don’t wear sun cream or try avoiding sun exposure during the worst hours.
We have to keep in mind that most of these damages are irreversible and severely affect our health.

What type of protection exists against the sun?

There exist different sunscreens. There are the ones that have a chemical filter and the ones which have a physical one. Which is the difference between them? The difference between these solar protectors is that the ones with chemical filters, which have been the most common ones, absorb the solar radiation, and transform it before it can damage the skin. On the contrary, the ones with physical filters don’t absorb the solar radiation but block it and scatter the rays before they can get into your skin.

What do the initials SPF mean?

These initials mean Sun Protector Factor and they don’t correspond with the minutes we are protected from the sun. If the number is higher it won’t make us be less tuned. As you can see, there is a lot of false information surrounding solar creams. This number multiplies the time it would take for you to get burned. In order to choose more wisely which protection to take, it is important to take into account at what time are we going to be exposed to the sun.

Another frequently asked question is if having a high SPF means not getting tuned. The answer is NO. Contrary to what many people think, a high SPF won’t affect your tun. It will make you get tuned later, but it will probably last longer.

Now that we are enjoying our last days of summer after a long time without enjoying the sun, it is important to look after our health.