RSS Feed
7:20 AM
mateng
As awareness of the harmful effects of UV light has grown, people have begun to develop ways to enable us to spend more time in the sun. However, the first sunscreens were only effective in protecting against UVB, which allowed us to spend a greater period of time in the sun, however this made us more susceptible to damage from UVA. In an attempt to counteract this, modern sunscreens are designed to protect against the whole spectrum of UV light.
Whilst sunlight is a necessity for acquiring Vitamin D and experiencing a sense of warmth, in the longer term the effects of the sun on your skin are generally negative.
There are various short term effects of the sun. These include most notably sunburn and rashes, as well as the much sought after tan. In the medium term, the sun can cause photo aging, whereby the person develops wrinkles and indications of aging. In the longer term the sun can be the cause of cancer and skin cancer is on the rise due to society’s obsessive desire to acquire a tan.
The two forms of UV light mentioned, A and B, have different characteristics. UVA levels remain constant irrespective of the time of year and it is responsible for the tanning of the skin. It is also the cause of the aging effects on the skin (including wrinkles), is capable of penetrating glass and is important in causing melanoma. UVB levels, on the other hand, vary throughout the year and UVB is not capable of penetrating glass. The ‘SPF’ of a product relates to its ability to protect against UVB, because UVB is the cause of sunburn. UVB is also necessary for the body for Vitamin D production.
When selecting sunscreen it is imperative that you look at the SPF because this relates to how long the product is effect for. For instance, if a skin sunburns in 20 minutes and a SPF 20 is correctly applied, this will mean that the skin will burn in 400 minutes. It is also important to note that the SPF does not give any indication of protection against UVA and, in order to be protected against the UV spectrum, you will need to look out for substances such as titanium dioxide.
Whilst sunlight is a necessity for acquiring Vitamin D and experiencing a sense of warmth, in the longer term the effects of the sun on your skin are generally negative.
There are various short term effects of the sun. These include most notably sunburn and rashes, as well as the much sought after tan. In the medium term, the sun can cause photo aging, whereby the person develops wrinkles and indications of aging. In the longer term the sun can be the cause of cancer and skin cancer is on the rise due to society’s obsessive desire to acquire a tan.
The two forms of UV light mentioned, A and B, have different characteristics. UVA levels remain constant irrespective of the time of year and it is responsible for the tanning of the skin. It is also the cause of the aging effects on the skin (including wrinkles), is capable of penetrating glass and is important in causing melanoma. UVB levels, on the other hand, vary throughout the year and UVB is not capable of penetrating glass. The ‘SPF’ of a product relates to its ability to protect against UVB, because UVB is the cause of sunburn. UVB is also necessary for the body for Vitamin D production.
When selecting sunscreen it is imperative that you look at the SPF because this relates to how long the product is effect for. For instance, if a skin sunburns in 20 minutes and a SPF 20 is correctly applied, this will mean that the skin will burn in 400 minutes. It is also important to note that the SPF does not give any indication of protection against UVA and, in order to be protected against the UV spectrum, you will need to look out for substances such as titanium dioxide.
0 comments:
Post a Comment