We all like a good bask in the sun. Think about how soothing it is just to lie on that beach and feel the sun rays penetrate your skin…oh! How you yearn for a little sun shine whenever winter sets is the sun is just heavenly, right?
Now, let me burst your bubble. The sun may be very soothing; a source of vitamin D and life, but it also has its downsides. What you may not know is that the same sun that takes to cloud nine may also bring forth major troubles through skin discoloration and even skin cancer.
How?
This is because the sun emits UV rays that penetrate the skin and destroy your DNA. This leaves you with brown patches that are painful to the touch. You may have realized that your skin looks a bit darker and irritated after being outdoors for too long. Now, that is what is referred to as sunburn. Even though this damage may be just mild and will go away in no time at all, you may be increasing your chances of acquiring skin cancer later in your life. Did you know that skin cancer is one of the leading cancers in the USA?
This should tell you that sun damage is not a bull to joke with: It is important that you always protect your skin. This is why dermatologists advocate for the must apply sunscreen rule. It is because sunscreen will help breakdown the harmful rays and in the process prevent their penetration into your skin. This will the long run keep you miles away from sunburns.
However, sunscreen is not the only form of sun protection. Think about it this way, what if you have to go out and your sunscreen is finished? Does it mean you have to brave the rays?
Again, sunscreen wears out in little time and hence constant reapplication is necessary if it is to be trusted as a foolproof sun protection method. The bottom line of this banter is that you need alternative methods away from the ever so glorified sunscreen. This discourse will take you through other strategies you can use to avert sun damage. They will include:
1. A proper diet
According to research, some foods have the ability to reduce your skin’s sensitivity to the sun while others can strengthen the skin to deal with any sun damage. These are usually foods that have antioxidant capabilities. Examples include carrots, broccoli, water melons, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and berries among others. Now, the antioxidants in these foods will help protect the skin from the free radicals coming from the sun rays by neutralizing the radicals. Tomatoes where for instance confirmed to have this capability when a study done on 20 people showed that those who regularly took tomato paste were more resistant to sun damage than their counterparts who never used it. In essence, what we are trying to put across is that you can avert sun burns through a diet rich in foods that contain antioxidants as they will come in handy in the fight against sun damage.
2. Dress appropriately
Another way of keeping the UV rays at bay is through proper clothing. There are clothes specifically made for sun protection. Some of these clothes even have an SPF of 30 (which is what sunscreens offer by the way). This means that when you wear these clothes, you will have increased your sun tolerance to over 30 times. But you can also avert this damage through normal clothes. For instance, throwing on a scarf or a hat as you grace that wedding garden may really help you. In addition, you can purchase sunglasses that will not only make you look trendy but will also help keep your eyes safe. Therefore, if you have to spend time outdoors, it is important that you put on clothes that will cover most of your skin in order to prevent sunburns.
3. Keep tabs on the time
The sun is the most available and most effective source of vitamin D. That you must have heard over a million times. However, this should not be an excuse for you to keep basking in the sun at whatever time. This is because it is not always that the sun emits these beneficial rays. Research has shown that the sun between 10 am and sometime around 3 pm is usually loaded with the harmful UV rays and hence should be avoided. This knowledge will help you know when not to go outdoors and hence help you avoid sun damage.
Conclusion
The sun has been branded as one of the leading causes of skin damage and by extension skin cancer. This has led to massive sensitization on the need to protect our skins from the sun. It is this call that has highly popularized sunscreen to the extent that you may think it is the only form of sun protection. However, through the above discussion it is clear that there are other strategies that you can employ to keep still your skin protected even when sunscreen becomes costly, it wears out or is finished.
References:
https://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/category/skin-care
http://www.examiner.com/article/can-sunscreen-avoid-aging-your-skin-1
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