Taking Care of Your Skin in the Sunny Weather
It’s been getting colder here in London and many are travelling to warmer countries. Many have asked for advice on how best to protect the skin under sunny conditions.
We all know we should use a sunscreen to protect ourselves from the ultraviolet light from the sun; but what is it that is driving us to be wary of the sun’s damaging effect? And how does ultraviolet light cause skin damage?
To start, it is important to note that exposure to sunlight is advised because of it’s many health benefits. For example, when your skin is exposed to sunlight, compounds in the skin are converted to Vitamin D. Your body needs vitamin D for bone preservation and to boost the immune system.
Some studies have found that sunlight has a positive impact on mental health, and that it promotes endorphin release - hormones which make you feel happy. Sunlight exposure is also important for the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle. Disturbance in this rhythm has been linked to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
Sunlight speeds up the process of ageing and causes sunburn, precancerous, and cancerous skin damage. Common skin cancers caused by sun exposure are basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and melanomas. Sunlight causes these problems owing to the fact that it contains ultraviolet (UV) light.
The process of how UV light causes skin cancers is complex. To summarise, it is important to understand that every living cell is controlled by two processes. These are either growth/multiplication processes or cell death processes. They are crucial in all living cells to ensure cell growth is controlled adequately. UV light can disrupt the balance between cell growth and death, resulting in abnormal cell growth, and therefore the development of cancer.
There are three subtypes of UV rays that you may hear of or read about, especially when purchasing sunscreen products: UVA, UVB and UVC. Thanks to the Earth’s ozone layer, we are already protected from UVC exposure.
Certain skin colours are more susceptible to skin cancers. The Fitrzpatrick scale is a numerical classification of skin colours from type one to five.
Generally, the lighter the skin colour, the higher the risk of skin cancer. No type of skin is 100% skin cancer risk free.
Our recommendations:
Use sunscreen to provide protection from UV light. These are best applied 15 minutes before sun exposure
Choose a sunscreen that provides adequate protection against UVB, as UVB is more erythemogenic (more likely to cause skin redness). The food and drug administration recommends the use of sunscreens with SPF-15 or higher.
According to the British Association of Dermatologists, we tend to apply sunscreens too thinly and avoid some areas such as the back, ears, and temples. It is vital to ensure sunscreen is applied generously and to include these areas.
The British Association of Dermatologists recommend avoiding peak UV light exposure; normally between 11 am and 3 pm.
Try to wear protective clothing. Some sunglasses offer protection against UV light.
Vestra Clinica has has started a page to raise funds for cancerresearchuk.org, The UK’s largest charity researching different types of cancer and the only charity to fund research into all 200 types of cancer. We are proud to be raising funds for Cancerresearchuk and hope our fundraising efforts help the charity in achieving its intended impact.
Follow the link below to donate to Cancerresearchuk
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/vestraclinica
