The sun hides serious health dangers that we should protect ourselves from at all times
Summer has finally arrived, at least in the northern hemisphere. The sun is shining, we are going away on holidays, kids have weeks of summer fun to look forward to. Wherever you are going – the beach, the pool, camping in the mountains – you mustn’t forget to bring along a sunscreen with good UVA protection factor.
In terms of SPF (sun protection factor), products with high SPF tend to be more expensive and their protection is only slightly higher than those with a lower SPF.
Products with SPF over 20 have very little difference in protection results: SPF 15 gives 93.3% protection, SPF 20 – 96%, SPF 30 – 97.4% and SPF 40 – 97.5%.
The Medical Daily says: “A sunblock with SPF 100, for instance, only increases protection from UVB by one percent from 98 to 99 percent, compared to a sunblock with SPF 50. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is considering requiring all sunscreens with a higher than 50 rating for SPF to be labeled “50+” because of the murky nature of the health benefit of increased protection.”
Safe tanning
Often we don’t realise the dangers that the sun hides and choose to focus on its health benefits. Exposure to the sun without proper skin protection is the main cause of skin cancer in the USA – 50% of cancers in the USA are skin cancers. The number of skin cancer cases doubled from 1992 to 2012, with 1 in every 50 Americans being diagnosed with melanoma daily.
There are 4 main points you need to consider if you’re worried about skin cancer:
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Have I been under excessive or unprotected exposure to ultraviolet rays?
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Do I have a family history of skin cancer?
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Have I experienced severe sunburns in the past?
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Do I have suspicious moles? There are 4 types of suspicious moles known as the ABCD: Asymmetrical; Borders Ragged; Colour Uneven; and Diameter Change.
You can get a healthy tan without risking your health and there are a few simple tricks to that: wear protective clothing such as hats and sunglasses with good UV protection; seek shade in the hottest hours of the day; avoid exposure to the bright sun between 10am and 4pm; and avoid tanning beds and sunlamps.
Our busy lifestyles may not allow us to spoil ourselves with weeks spent on beach holidays and we may often be tempted to skip the sunscreen in order to tan faster. But is it really worth the risk of getting skin cancer? Let the sun do its job in a healthy way that will keep your skin undamaged and your smile permanent.