Important things to know before sunbathing
Many women and girls prefer to lie in the sun to dye their skin, or what is known as obtaining a tan / Tan. This may become one of the priorities when lying on the beaches during the summer vacations, but before taking sunbaths, you must know how dangerous or beneficial your exposure to ultraviolet rays is. Getting a nice glowing tan is a good thing, but is it really worth exposing your skin to the sun ?
Here you will find everything you need to know about the harms of tanning, and how to get a healthy tan without causing health damages.
harmful ultraviolet rays
To get a tan, you expose your skin to ultraviolet rays, and although exposure to sunlight has great benefits, as it stimulates blood circulation and the production of vitamin D , but the sun’s rays consist of different waves, each of which has a different effect on the skin , there are:
UVA rays, which cause spots and wrinkles to appear .
Short-range UVB rays can cause sunstroke , burns and even skin cancer .
The dangers of getting a tan
The matter is not limited to obtaining the desired glowing color only, but it may extend to some health risks , including:
Sunburn
Sunburn is one of the most common signs of UV exposure and skin damage . It is often characterized by facial redness and peeling, usually after a few days of sun exposure. Sunburn is a form of short-term skin damage.
Sunburn occurs when ultraviolet rays reach your skin, damaging cells in your skin . In response, your immune system increases blood flow to the affected areas.
The increased blood flow is what gives sunburn its distinctive redness and makes skin feel hot to the touch. Damaged skin cells release chemicals that send messages through the body until they are translated as a painful, burning sensation by the brain.
This is where white blood cells, which help protect you from infection and disease, come in. They attack and remove damaged skin cells. It is this process of removing damaged cells that can cause itching and scaling.
The first signs of a sunburn are skin that looks dull, sore, or feels hotter than usual. Unfortunately, if your skin is already pigmented, you may not notice any obvious physical signs until after several hours. It may take up to 6 hours for the full effects of a sunburn to appear. to 48 hours.
get the color
Getting a tan is itself a sign of health damage, an increase in skin pigment, called melanin, that causes your skin to change color is a sign of damage.
Once the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, it increases the production of melanin in an effort to protect the skin from further damage. Melanin is the same pigment that colors your hair, eyes, and skin. An increase in melanin may cause your skin to darken within the 48 hours following exposure.
Premature aging
Premature aging is the result of exposure to unprotected UV rays, and it takes the form of skin, wrinkles , and dark spots.
Although the causes of premature aging aren't always obvious, unprotected exposure to harmful UV rays breaks down the collagen and elastin fibers of healthy, young skin, and causes wrinkles and loose folds in the skin. Frequent sunburn or hours spent tanning can cause skin irritation. In permanent black spots on the skin.
Treatments for this can include chemical peels and dermal fillers.
skin cancer
There are two main types of skin cancer:
Melanoma is the least common, but most dangerous form, and causes most skin cancer deaths each year. Skin cancer is a cancer that begins in the skin cells that produce melanin (melanocytes). According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), this cancer is almost always curable when caught in its early stages.
Non-melanoma tumors, which are affected by the basal or squamous cells in the epidermis , non-melanoma tumors often develop in sun-exposed areas of the body, including the face, ears, neck, lips, and what appears from the hands.
Although a predisposition to skin cancer can be hereditary, meaning that it is passed down through generations of a family through genes, there is also strong evidence to suggest that exposure to ultraviolet radiation, both UVA and UVB, can cause skin cancer.
UV rays may promote skin cancer in two different ways:
1- By damaging the DNA in skin cells, causing the skin to grow abnormally and develop benign or malignant tumors.
2- By weakening the immune system and blocking the body's natural defenses against aggressive cancer cells.
Actinic keratosis of the skin
Actinic, or solar, keratosis is a concern; Because it can develop into cancer, actinic keratosis is the first stage in the development of skin cancer, caused by long-term exposure to sunlight, and is one of the most common malignant skin conditions.
Actinic keratosis shares some symptoms with skin cancer, such as the presence of raised, scaly, or scaly bumps that occur in areas exposed to sunburn and tanning .
How do you get a healthy tan?
After identifying the damages of exposure to ultraviolet rays, and knowing that they are capable of causing serious health diseases, now you must know how to get a healthy tan without exposure to the aforementioned health risks, and this is done through several steps , including:
Don't get a tan from sunbeds
Some try to get a tan through sun beds that are placed in enclosed spaces, without resorting to sunbathing naturally, but this is extremely dangerous.
Numerous research studies have been conducted to determine whether tanning beds are more dangerous than the sun, and the conclusions they reach vary widely, but most findings indicate that indoor tanning is more dangerous as it emits up to 15 times more UVB rays than the sun.
UVA rays can penetrate deep into the thick layer of the skin, and this can lead to premature aging of the skin, wrinkles and suppression of the immune system, and this type of tanning increases the risk of skin cancer by 75%.
Follow a healthy diet
Note that you are dealing with your skin, which is a part of the body , so in order for it to be healthy, it is necessary to consume the right kind of food. You can add some sun-friendly foods in your daily diet.
There are some foods that increase the production of lycopene in the body. Lycopene is a red-colored carotene. It is one of the most important nutrients. It has various benefits for health and can help prevent deadly diseases such as cancer. Some examples of foods rich in lycopene are papaya, tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit. .
Antioxidant polyphenols can also help achieve a beautiful natural tan. Polyphenols can be obtained from green tea, dark chocolate or star anise, but polyphenols should not be obtained synthetically; Because in this case it becomes a toxic substance.
Also, there are foods that can protect your skin from sunburn and too much sun exposure, such as carrots, almonds, pomegranates , and leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, and green lettuce.
Keep sunscreen
After you get rid of the dead skin cells, your skin is now ready, but to help you more, be sure to keep the sunscreen cream in your bag, but it should be noted that these creams are not equal in the quality of their manufacture and ingredients.
The most important and best element for sun protection is zinc oxide, followed by titanium oxide, also the SPF that you see in most sunscreens is important, and it is the initials of “Sun Protection Factor”, which indicates the ability of the protective cream to UV blocking.
All of these ingredients are essential so that you can spend time in the sun without suffering skin damage.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), higher SPF numbers, such as SPF50, provide better protection against UV rays. Remember to apply sunscreen about 15-30 minutes before heading into the sun. Also, consider reapplying sunscreen. Out of the sun for 15 to 30 minutes after sun exposure.
exfoliate
Before going out to enjoy the sun, it is a good idea to exfoliate your skin first. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the top layer of the skin, and this allows new skin to appear . It also prevents the appearance of acne .
The less dead skin cells build up, the shallower your skin layer. This makes your natural tan last longer. Removing dead skin cells also allows you to tan more easily.
You can make a scrub using sugar , salt , and oatmeal. Use this mixture with an exfoliating glove to remove dead skin cells.
Determine the right time to get a tan
For an all-over tan, you should only lie on your back for about 20-30 minutes, and then lie on your stomach for an additional 20-30 minutes. Make sure you don't exceed this time. This will ensure that you don't get a bad sunburn, or worse, from too much sun exposure. Ultraviolet.
Also, it is important to choose the time when you decide to sunbathe, the United States Environmental Protection Agency says that the strength of ultraviolet radiation is strongest from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, during sunny summer days, so be sure to stay in the shade during these times.
Find shade
In order to get the color, you do not have to stay in the sun all day, resting from the sun will reduce the intensity of ultraviolet radiation and the risk of sunburn, and make you able to get a more healthy tan without health risks, because getting sunbathed in the wrong way will cause Damage sure.
Use hats, sunglasses, and clothing
It is best to always have your skin protected. If you need to go out during the heat of the day, protect your skin. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face. Make sure that the ears , eyes , forehead, nose and scalp are properly covered.
Sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays are also a good idea. Note that the skin around the eyes, including the eyes themselves, is very sensitive to UV rays. If not protected properly, this can lead to the development of eye diseases. These include: Cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and even eye cancer .
It is also ideal to wear clothes that cover your arms and legs. It is especially important to cover up the back and chest, as these are the parts of the body that are most often exposed to UV rays, and these are also the most common places for skin cancer to form.
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