With summer fast approaching, more and more people are looking for ways to protect against the damaging rays of the sun. Ultraviolet rays, or UV rays as they are more commonly known, can cause such harmful conditions as sunburn, eye damage, and prematurely aged skin. Worse yet, it can also cause the potentially fatal condition, skin cancer. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent these harmful UV rays from causing serious damage. Below we will look at four of these ways.
Because prolonged exposure to sunlight can have a negative impact on our health, it is very important that we do all we can to protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays of the sun. By planning outdoor activities during the morning and late afternoon, applying an SPF 15 or greater sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside, and wearing sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection, we can help to prevent such harmful conditions as sunburn, eye damage, prematurely aged skin, and skin cancer.
Safety Tips For Sunny Days
1. Plan outdoor events for the morning or late afternoon.
By scheduling any outdoor events for the morning or late afternoon, you can avoid the most harmful hours of the day which fall between 11am and 4pm. If you do need to venture outdoors during these hours, try to stay in the shade and wear adequate sunscreen during the outing. Long-sleeved shirts, pants, and wide-brimmed hats should also be seriously considered.2. Use a quality sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater.
SPF, which stands for Sun Protection Factor, is an indicator representing the effectiveness of sun protection for any given product. The higher the SPF, the better the protection you will have against the harmful rays of the sun. For the most complete coverage, it is important to find a sunscreen that offers broad spectrum coverage (coverage for both UVA and UVB rays) with an SPF of at least 15 (SPF 15 meaning you can spend 15 times longer outdoors, before getting a sunburn).3. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out into the sun.
It is very important to apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going outdoors. This is because it takes around 20 minutes for the chemicals in the sunscreen to bind to the surface of the skin, activating the protective chemicals in the sunscreen. It is also important to reapply sunscreen every few hours throughout the day to maintain an adequate level of protection. If you have been swimming or excessively sweating, immediate reapplication is recommended.4. Wear sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection.
In the same may that it is important for your sunscreen to contain both UVA and UVB protection, it is also essential that your sunglasses provide the same broad spectrum coverage. Making sure that your sunglasses have 99% - 100% protection from both forms of UV rays will help prevent conditions like photokeratitis (or "sunburn" of the cornea) and more serious conditions like permanent retinal damage.Because prolonged exposure to sunlight can have a negative impact on our health, it is very important that we do all we can to protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays of the sun. By planning outdoor activities during the morning and late afternoon, applying an SPF 15 or greater sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside, and wearing sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection, we can help to prevent such harmful conditions as sunburn, eye damage, prematurely aged skin, and skin cancer.
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