Friday, January 30, 2009

Is The Sun Bad For Your Skin

While the sun is a part of our everyday life, prolonged exposure without protection can lead to harmful effects on your body. There are, however, several arguments both for and against exposure to the sun.


Pigmentation Problems


Daily exposure to the sun or excessive sunburn can cause freckles and age spots on the skin. Your skin color will look uneven or even leathery. Sunburn even can cause blisters that leave permanent scarring on the skin .


Wrinkles


The sun has been shown to cause premature aging, which is commonly referred to as photoaging. The ultraviolet rays of the sun kill collagen cells in the skin that keep your skin firm and tight. The results are cracks and loosening, which result in wrinkles.


Cancer








Prolonged exposure and severe sunburn can cause skin cancer. Most of the time, skin cancer is present through abnormally large freckles or moles that appear after a sunburn and grow, itch or bleed. Skin cancer has also been linked to tanning salons.


Benefits of the Sun


Moderate exposure to the sun increases the amount of vitamin D in the body. . Vitamin D makes hair and skin healthier and keeps away colds by boosting your immune system.








Prevention


Sunscreen is essential to preventing sun damage. Most brands make sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays for maximum protection. UVA rays count for 95 percent of the sun's rays that reach the earth, but UVB rays are stronger and account for most sunburn, so it is important to have a sunscreen that will protect against both. Sunglasses protect the eyes, while hats and clothing protect the face and body. Also, avoid excessive exposure, which means staying in the sun for more than eight hours at a time.

Tags: skin cancer, sunburn cause, sunscreen that