The summer months bring a whole host of new activities and outdoor ways to have fun, however we need to keep exposure to ultraviolet rays at the forefront of our minds as they can cause many healthrelated issues. Although it’s recommended to spend some time in the sun in order to boost our levels of vitamin D, it’s important not to overexpose your skin as it can cause skin and eye damage, sun burn and sunstroke, and even suppress your immune system.
There are three wave lengths of ultraviolet radiation that we need to be aware of – UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC does not penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere, so it is UVA and UVB that we need protection from. UVA radiation causes sun-induced skin ageing such as wrinkles, leathery skin and brown pigmentation. UVB radiation is mostly responsible for causing sunburn and is linked to malignant melanoma and basal cell carcinoma (types of skin cancer). One of the best ways to avoid these is to stay out of the direct sun between 11am-3pm, especially in hot countries – we do however still need to use sun cream for protection. Although many of us reach for a low factor because we think we will get a better tan, high factor creams do not prevent us from tanning, they just prolong the length of time it takes to build up and will stop you from actually burning. Use an SPF of at least 30 and reapply regularly – children should wear 50 SPF.