Summer skin care

Take care of your skin in Summer - especially if you are out in the sun a lot.

We all would like to lie drowsily in the sun and let the summer sum turn the skin to a healthy and sexy looking dark brown. However, there are some health-related issues you should be aware of before spreading that beach towel.

Sun exposure can cause skin cancer, the most common type of cancer reported in the United Kingdom and USA. US authorities report that one in every three new cancer cases is skin cancer.

The sun sends out ultraviolet radiation, most of which is stopped from reaching the Earth’s surface by the ozone layer. The UV radiation that makes it past the ozone layer is strong enough to alter the DNA of skin cells and trigger, in time, the formation of carcinomas and melanomas.

UV radiation is also responsible for sunburn and skin ageing.

Children and people with fair or red hair or fair skin, who tend to burn rapidly in the sun, are more at risk than others and may develop skin cancer faster. They should be the first to use sunscreen and other types of protection against UV radiation (such as wearing long sleeves and hats in summer).

Most cases of skin cancer could have been prevented by limiting the exposure to the sun.

Many cases actually result from exposure to UV radiation during childhood and the teen years. This means that you should start protecting yourself early on and that parents should teach their children to stay out of the midday sun, and to wear protective clothing and to use sunscreen.

Protection is the key to preventing skin cancer.

Many people believe that ultraviolet radiation is the strongest when it’s very warm outside, but the heat comes from infrared and not UV radiation. This means that you should be protected from UV radiation even on cooler days.

UV radiation is at its highest level in summer, around midday, when the sun is high in the sky.

If you like mountain climbing, then you should be doubly careful; UV radiation increases with altitude. A heavy cloud cover may block UV radiation, but thin clouds are not good enough for protection. Don’t rely on the fact that you can face the sun safely for half an hour or even an hour. You cannot feel UV radiation on your skin and you will not be able to tell when it’s no longer safe for you to be out in the sun.