Sun Safe

As the holidays begin, some fly to foreign hot spots and some stay locally hoping for the elusive sun-its time to remember how to take the sun safely and why this is important.

Sunlight is important for the existence of all life.  The ultraviolet (UV) rays activate the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin and heal many skin conditions.  The sun is also brilliant for helping maintain positive mental attitude.  However too much sun can cause nasty painful sunburn, prematurely wrinkle the skin, producing a wrinkly, leathery skin, and perhaps skin cancer.

Since your goal is to tan not burn, perhaps figuring out your sun risk factor is a good starting point.  The first thing you have to do is to determine what kind of skin you have.  Are you light or dark skinned?  This is important since people with fair skin and light coloured eyes have to take extra precautions not to get burned.  Most people can burn within 15 minutes!  The darker you are the more exposure to the sun you can handle without getting burned.

The next point to take into consideration is the medication you are taking.  Most medications contain chemicals that cause the skin to be more reflective of UV rays.  For example, antibiotics, antihistamines, oral contraceptives, tricyclic antidepressants and most acne medicines will cause your skin to burn rather than tan.  If you are using medication that causes this heightened sensitivity to the sun then always use a very high factor sunscreen.

There is a common myth that sunburn will fade into a tan, not so. Sunburn is like any type of burn, except that it usually covers a larger area and will not become obvious for several hours.  The skin becomes red, feels tight, slightly swollen and hot.  At night the skin burns painfully. Dehydration can occur as well as blistering, headaches, restlessness fatigue and sleeplessness. While it is especially bad to suffer from sunburns before the age of 21 since it increases your chances of skin cancer, sunburn at any age can have serious side effects.

The most simple and natural way to prevent sunburn is to slowly accustom the skin to the sun.  Allow the body to produce melanin, the pigment that gives colour to the skin. I have discovered a homeopathic remedy, which if taken before exposure to the sun can prepare the skin by helping to stimulate a suntan and prevent dyschromias; it is called Anti Age Bronz.  A useful remedy but it doesn’t compensate for careful and vigilant exposure to the skin.

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Remember;

Use the correct sunscreen-most sunscreens should be applied 20 minutes before you go outside so that it has time to work, it will not prevent burning but it will lower your risk. (Pharmacists and beauticians can advise on the best protection factor)

Wear sunglasses-they don’t need to be expensive but they do need to block the UVA and UVB radiation.  Exposing your eyes to the sun can result in vision loss and cornea damage.

Keep hydrated– Drink plenty of water.

Avoid sunbathing in the midday sun

Be careful not to fall asleep in the sun

Stay cool by eating refreshing fruits and vegetables.

Have a safe and carefree holiday.  Come back refreshed and tanned not blistered and scarred.