By Jessica Nguyen, Staff Writer
Us, Southern Californians, thrive in the sun. Weather it be summer or winter, the sun is always shining in the beaches of California. While the sun may feel good, it comes with negative consequences and the only way to prevent it? Wear sunscreen!
The sun emits lots of electromagnetic radiation including ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays can be categorized into several types: UVB, which is often the cause for sunburns, UVA, which penetrates the skin, and UVC, the deadliest ray although the ozone layer blocks it from your skin. All three of these types of UV rays cause skin cancer.
That is why wearing sunscreen is important; it decrease the risk of developing cancer. Too much UV radiation can penetrate your skin and damage the DNA in your skin cells; this can lead to skin cancer if these cells begin to rapidly grow and pass on their damaged genetic material to other cells. Sunburn is a feeling that many people are familiar with when they are in the sun for too long; sunburn occurs when your skin cells are damaged and your body tries to repair it. Getting sunburn, just once every two years, can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer. Even just getting red from the sun is an indication of sunburn and damaged DNA in your skin cells from over UV exposure. Heatstroke and heat exhaustion can be results of being in the sun without sunscreen; these issues, if left untreated, can lead to nausea, muscle cramps, and even brain damage.
Being in the sun without sunscreen also leads to premature aging and age spots. According to the “Annals of Internal Medicine”, researchers found 24 percent less skin aging in people who used sunscreen compared to those who didn’t. A long time in the sun can make your skin feel dry, wrinkled and leathery, look discolored and bruise easier.
Now, you know that you should wear sunscreen, what is the right sunscreen to buy? You should look for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 and a broad or full spectrum sunscreen to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Always remember to reapply your sunscreen based on the label as after several hours, sunscreen will lose its ability to block the sun and protect your skin. 80 percent of the sun’s rays still make it through clouds so wear sunscreen on both cloudy and sunny days, While putting on sunscreen may seem like a hassle, it is essential and the extra minute that you spend putting on sunscreen could save you from a lifetime of skin damage. Spray-on-sunscreen is extra easy to use and built-in-sunscreen can work as moisturizers as well.
If you are looking to avoid the sun’s negative impacts without wearing sunscreen, avoid going into the sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as ultraviolet rays are the strongest during the middle of the day. If you have to go outside, wear protective clothing to protect your body, hats and or sunglasses to filter the UV lights.
However, it is important to spend around ten minutes in the sun without sunscreen. Being in the sun leads to the production of vitamin D, which is essential for absorbing calcium. Higher levels of vitamin D reduce heart disease, lowers cholesterol levels and prevents diabetes. The sun additionally rises your levels of serotonin, which makes you feel more happy and energetic.
So, now that summer is officially here, remember to have some fun in the sun; but, only with your sunscreen on. Stay lit, Barons!
