Should I Use Sunscreens And Why?
Simply put, everybody should! Not all skin is the same. The amount of pigment in the skin varies from person to person. That is why some people will have higher sensitivity to the sun and burn easily, and never tan. Some people will experience a little bit of tanning but a lot of burning. Then there are those who tan easily and quickly yet rarely burn. It seems to make sense that for those who are not as sun-sensitive there should be less worry about sun exposure. Unfortunately that is not the case. While some people are not prone to sunburns, they are still at risk of developing melanoma, the most prevalent form of skin cancer. Nobody is immune to the risk and everyone should wear sunscreens!
Why? The sun’s rays consist of two types of hazardous ultra-violet rays, UVA and UVB. The UVB rays are the ones that cause the sunburn. Of course with each sunburn a person gets, his or her chances of skin cancer are increased. That is not the only danger. There are also the UVA rays to consider. These rays do not cause burning but they do penetrate deeper into the skin, affecting the body’s immune system and stifling how it combats cancer. Both kinds of UV rays do their part in increasing cancer risks.
Just because you aren’t actually burning, the risk is still there. Every time you are exposed to the sun, you are exposed to these ultra-violet rays. Sunscreens are made to block out the UVA and UVB rays. Applying a sun block is important no matter how much time you will be spent in the sun, not just if you plan to be outside for a long time or lying at the beach.
This includes walking to and from your car! Even spending a few minutes in the sun will contribute to the risk. While UVB rays, those that cause the skin to burn, cannot penetrate glass, UVA rays CAN. This means that even when you are sitting inside, you are still exposing your skin to harmful sun rays.
If you question this, consider ‘driver’s arm.’ This is the occurrence of a person having one arm tanner than the other. This arm is not red, or burned; it is tan. Even a very fair-skinned person whose skin won’t normally tan will have this happen. It is from sun coming in the car window. The burning UVB rays are not getting through the glass but the skin-penetrating UVA rays are. These rays are actually just as harmful than those that cause the burn.
So sunscreens are important to block out these rays. What about the SPF factor? SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, is a calculation of the time it takes the skin to burn. It compares skin with the sunblock to skin without the sunblock. For example, an SPF 10 on a person who normally burns in 10 minutes, will increase the time it takes for that person to burn to 100 minutes.
Along with a high SPF, you will also want to check for ray-blocking ingredients. Octyl methoxycinnamate, Octyl salicylate, Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Cinoxate, Ecamsule, Menthyl anthranilate, Sulisobenzone, Titanium dioxide, and Zinc oxide are some of the effective ones to look for.
Limiting your exposure to the sun’s rays is the key to preventing skin cancer. Wear a hat, long pants and long sleeves, seek out shade whenever possible, and always wear your sunscreens!
Tags: Swimming