Got Stuck? Try These Tips to Improve your Skin Protection from Sun Damage
Skin and the sun are inseparable. Human beings, animals, and plants need sunlight to develop. In fact, lack of exposure to the sun can lead to poor health. Excessive exposure to the sun leads to skin damage. One can develop sunburns, skin cancer, and aging and skin wrinkling. Most sun rays are harmless. But, the most dangerous are UVA and UVB. People should avoid them at all cost.
Everyday, a person should have exposure to sunlight for a few minutes. Although it’s harmful, exposure with moderation is okay. This is because sun rays are essential in the synthesis of vitamin D in our bodies. It’s advisable to have sunlight for about 15 minutes daily. Staying for long without the sun leads to seasonal affective disorder. This usually occurs during winter seasons.
Now, there aren’t ways you can escape the sun in your daily activities. The only solution is to be conscious about your skin. Some measures can reduce skin scorching by the sun. These days, with various methods, you can maintain a healthy skin. If you are experiencing this problem, now relax. We have tips on how to protect your skin from sun damage. Our list combines all methods whether natural or medical. We hope you will find solace for your skin.
The following are ways to avoid skin damage from the sun.
Use UV Reflective Umbrellas
As we are aware, we receive a dose of sun rays when working. Also when walking the skin can absorb a significant amount of UV rays. You might not be aware, but the fact is the dose you receive can lead skin problems. The development may take a while to notice. Thereby, it’s important to take precautions.
A reflective umbrella is an efficient way of s protecting your skin. They are simple, light and easy to carry. They usually have a reflective film to repel ultraviolet rays. When you decide to buy an umbrella, choose one with a thick SPF. They are useful in protecting, face and other exposed parts.
Use Large Hats to Cover Your Head
Most of the parts that experience more exposure to the sun are on the head. That’s why; the person will suffer sunburns on the face first. So, it’s good to take preventive measures. It’s simple to achieve that. A good hat will take care of your head. Nonetheless, experts recommends for s thick and broad hat.
If you are going to buy a hut, be sure it has a wide brim. Usually, 2 to 3 inches are ideal. Unlike regular caps, these have the capacity to protect your neck, ears, and eyes. According to research, increase of brim by 2 inches, reduces skin cancer by 10 percent.
In case you have no brim, don’t gamble with your health. Shade cap is ideal it’s long, about 7 inches. Thus, it will cover your necks region and ears. Rather, you can buy shade caps from sportswear stores. Sometimes you might not be able to access a brim or shade cups. Nonetheless, that’s not a reason to risk your skin. You can use the normal caps and large cloth under it. Make sure it’s covering most of the vital areas.
Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids Intake
Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to our bodies in many ways. In fact, doctors advocate for people to have regular and enough rates of these fats. Through research, scientists have confirmed this. Having a diet with high levels of s omega-3 fatty acids slows down development of sunburns.
The best thing about these fats, you can get them as natural compounds. This is contrary to cosmetics products which are expensive and toxic. Instead of eating too much vegetable oil, you can switch to more healthy oils. Some include olive and coconut oils. Also include food like kidney beans, salmon, and groundnut in your diet. They have higher levels of PUFAs.
Also as part of omega-3 fats, carotenoids are effective in combating sun damage. They are present in plants and protect them from excessive sun damage. By ingesting these plants, carotenoids help the skin from sun damage. Their deposition on the skin prevents skin cancer, wrinkles, and sunburns. In general, omega-3 fatty acids are antioxidants. When they are plenty in the body, they inhibit cancer cells development.
Spend Most Time Under the Shade
Being aware when the rate of UV light is at peak is important. It will help you avoid exposure that can ruin your skin health. Now, there is a simple mechanism to tell you when to avoid outdoors. Just check the size of your shadow. If it’s short, the level of UV rays is at the peak. So, avoid being outside between 10hrs to 16 hrs.
Ultra violet rays reach the ground all time during the year. What matters is the intensity. During the cold seasons, it’s when most people suffer sunburns. This is because spring seasons are cooler than summer. Thereby, people think the sun intensity isn’t high enough to damage skin. Hence, they take less protective measures. Remember, water, sand and snows are reflective. This tends to accumulate a lot of rays in the atmosphere.
Despite being in the shade, some harmful rays can still find their way. This is in particular through windows of you are in the house or vehicle. It’s good to note that UV rays are of two types A and B. UVB rays are with ease blocked by regular windows since they are weaker than UVA. Nonetheless, the UVA are a bit stronger and will pass. This calls for an extra preventive measure. Make sure your house, care or office windows have a protective tint. The small penetrating UV rays can cause sunburn gradual development.
Have Enough Vitamin D in the Body
It’s a fact that sunlight enhances Vitamin D in our bodies. In fact, it’s the primary source. Though important it’s not advisable to allow prolonged exposure. It’s a crucial vitamin in our bodies in maintaining healthy bones. Low levels in the blood can lead to cancers, heart diseases, and neurological diseases.
As said above, skins are the major producer of Vitamin D upon exposures to the sun. This is not always the case; the body can get it through food and supplement. The UVB rays are the ones that stimulate the skin to synthesize vitamin D. But, on the other hands are major causes of skin damage. They cause sunburns and skin cancer on intense exposure.
Now, although UVB are useful in production Vitamin D, nobody wants his skin to be at risk. Thus, the best thing is to ensure supply of the vitamin from other sources. The best method is from food. Some of the ideal foods are eggs, cod liver oil, salmon and cow milk. If s someone has deficiency they can rely on supplements.
Wear Eye Protectors
These days, it’s easy to get sunglasses capable of blocking UV rays. They aren’t only useful to eyes, but, still to the surrounding skin. The skin around the eyes is delicate and calls for extra protection. Because of its position and softness, It’s prone to UV damage that other part. The only solution to this is wearing UU protective glasses.
When choosing for eyeshades, look for ones with a wide frame. Narrow-framed glasses leaves some eye skins exposed. Also, check the blocking capacity. The perfect sunglasses should have the ability to block more than 99% UV rays. The color of glasses means less. There are more clear glasses with high capacity to protect your eyes and skin. So, being darker doesn’t say that they are superior.
The idea of sunglasses should protect eyes while offering aesthetics look. So, even when buying glasses for kids, ensures they can protect his eyes. Be sure the sunglasses have ANSI label. Also in the case of prescription glasses, they should be UV blocking. This is despite offering little protection because of narrow frames and lenses.
Lycopene is Useful for the Skin Health
Lycopene is a compound found in tomatoes. It’s an amazing compound with skin protecting abilities. So, eating tomatoes, can improve the skins resistances to sun damage. Through research, it has researchers were able to establish its effectiveness. When you cook tomatoes, the chemical becomes mores absorbable.
Further, the consumption of tomatoes makes skin resist reddening due to the effect of the sun. The reason behind it is the increased level of pro-collagen. This substance is responsible in giving skin its structure. When it decreases, the skin can suffer from aging and prone to sunburns. It’s true that people who eat tomatoes on a regular basis are 33% less to suffer sunburns. Another source of lycopene is watermelons.
Sunscreens are useful in averting the harmful effects of sun rays. It’s prudent to be aware of the type you are using on your body. There are many brands in the market claiming to be safe. But, in the real sense, they leave severe effects than the sun. Others, cause irritation to the skin although, claiming to be hypoallergic. Before you apply, testing is necessary. Use on a small area and wait for a day or two.
Now, when applying sunscreen, give the most vulnerable areas more attention. They include arms, face, ears and neck. These areas experience little cover from the clothes. When you are applying, read instruction from the manufacturer. SPF (sun protection factor) measures their effectiveness. For instance, if a product has SPF20, it means it will offer protection for only 20 minutes. Thereby, you need to be keen and keep on reapplying.
When applying sunscreens to various body parts, people always forget lips. They are also prone to sunburns, ensures they are well moisturized. On top of it all, apply sun protecting lip balms. Otherwise, you will experience painful sunburns, aging and cracking.
Beta-carotene is a compound found in plants. The yellowish pigment is important in our bodies as it’s a precursor of vitamin A. Our bodies need the right amount Vitamin A for proper health. It’s necessary for the immune system, mucous membranes, and skin. Having enough beta-carotene is ideal than taking Vitamin A supplements. This is because the body converts the only required amounts.
The antioxidant is useful in maintaining skin health. It helps in destroying free radicals that cause the skin to age. The oxidation of cells in the body is harmful and can lead to various illnesses. Its use is to treat people with sun sensitivity, especially those with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Also, people with liver problems experiences sun sensitivity. Beta-carotene is useful in their treatment. Acquiring it through food is the ideal way than in supplements. Therby, eating carrots, sweet potatoes, and oranges will elevate its quantity in the body.
Wearing Sun Protective Clothing
When shopping for clothes, ensures you buy ones that can absorb UV rays. This can be a convenient way of keeping your skin safe. The absorption is through a special coating. Besides having protective property, their design also offers protection. For instance, the clothes have proper styling to cover delicate areas.
The material used or the colors of the cloth are vital in determining SPF. For example, some materials that have a tight knit or 100% polyesters are ideal. In contrast, bleached cotton and viscose are poor protectors. To determine effectiveness, ultra-violet protection factor (UPV) for determining the level of protection. The protection factor ranges from 15- 50. On wetting, the garment protection reduces by half.
Avoid Sun Lamps and Tanning Beds
Both sun lamps and tanning beds produce UVA and UVB. Many people think that UV rays from these devices aren’t harmful. But, in the real sense, they are as dangerous as ones from the sun. The only difference is the intensity of these rays. But, at long last, you will experience skin damage. The devices have are responsible for increasing melanoma rate, among the user.
In some countries, tanning beds are illegal. In others, their usage is only for people of certain age. It’s advisable to use tanning lotion if one has to use them. Nonetheless, doctors warn people from using them. If you are going to use sun lamps on the hand, it’s wise to apply sunscreen. Despite how UV is little, after long time exposure it will cause skin complications.
Having Enough Selenium in the Body
Having all nutrients in the body plays a crucial role in organ functioning. One of the important in keeping your skin healthy is selenium. Through various studies, researchers have concluded its importance in skin protection. It works by preventing cells oxidation, which causes the development of cancer. The mineral acts as an antioxidant whereby; it reduced the level of radicals in the body.
The best source of selenium is food. Though, supplements are available. Some of the sources include bread, Brazil nuts, and fish. Some dermatologist advices people to take selenium as a complement. This is in the case of a deficiency, as excess can cause poisoning.
In recent studies, selenium was found effective in maintaining cell elasticity. Moreover, it’s good at slowing down cell hardening due to oxidation. The study further indicated that selenium protects skin from UV rays and skin cancer. It’s an essential mineral that fights skin problems from inside.
Skin is the largest body organ. We can’t underestimate its functions. Being the part that encounters with the environment, it’s necessary to care for it. Most of the environmental condition imposes a direct impact on skin. But, it possesses mechanisms that enable it to survive. As we have seen above, the greatest of all concern is the sunlight. It has the benefit and demerits. Though we need it for various reasons, we should moderate our encounters.
The best ways to prevent skin damage is by avoiding it. Sun is the primary source of Vitamin D. But; its results are hazardous. Thus, the diet remains the safest way. Also, good health results in a healthy skin. They enhance production of melanin that prevents sun severity. Additionally, they improve skin flexibility and cell development. This helps in maintaining a young look.