▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
As the weather gets hotter, more people are going out to play.
Every year at this time, we remind everyone: watch out for sunscreen!
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV) from the sun can not only lead to sunburn, eye damage and premature wrinkles, but also damage dna in skin cells, increasing the risk of skin cancers such as melanoma.
Image credit: 123RF
Ultraviolet light can be divided into UVA, UVB, UVC, UVD four bands according to the wavelength, of which UVA and UVB can pass through the atmospheric ozone layer and reach the skin.
Long-term or excessive irradiation of UVB will redden the skin and cause redness, swelling and peeling, which is the main cause of sunburn and the "main culprit" of skin cancer.
UVA has strong penetration, can penetrate the surface of the skin, destroy collagen, elastin fiber tissue and other fine structures inside the skin, produce wrinkles, make the skin loose, premature aging, is the main cause of tanning, sun aging, but also lead to skin cancer (but compared with the carcinogenicity of UVB, at most an accomplice).
Avoid the midday sun
However, many people get some key problems wrong, resulting in poor sun protection.
Looking at these details, how many of them did you do right?
Apply sunscreen
Reduce time to direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.
This is true even in winter or cloudy weather (clouds have little protection against ultraviolet rays), so avoiding the strongest sunlight can help avoid sunburn and tanning.
Image credit: 123RF
Wear sun protection clothing
When choosing a sunscreen, be sure to look at the label first and choose a sunscreen with "broad spectrum" protection and a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
A sunscreen with "broad spectrum" protection that blocks both UVA and UVB at the same time.
While all sunscreen products can block UVB (sunscreen), not all can prevent UVA (sunscreen).
For example, if you buy a non-broad-spectrum sunscreen, you can only prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging.
That's why some people obviously wear sunscreen, but they are still old!
The SPF value refers to how protective the sunscreen is against UVB. The higher the SPF value, the better the protection effect, but as the SPF value increases, the difference between the protection effects becomes smaller.
For example, sunscreens with SPF 15 can withstand about 93% of UVB rays, compared to 97% with SPF 30; about 98% with SPF 50 and about 99% with SPF 100.
Apply sunscreen on all bare skin, including ears, hands, and neck, and reapply at least every 2 hours (lips should also be sunscreen, use a special lip balm with a sun protection factor).
If you swim or sweat, increase the frequency of application. In addition, when wiping the water or sweat on the body with a towel, the sunscreen is usually wiped off, so it is necessary to reapply some more (it is more convenient to use sunscreen spray).
Before using sunscreen, also check the expiration date. Sunscreen exposed to high temperatures for a long time, such as if it is left in the car all summer, may affect the effectiveness of sunscreen.
Image credit: 123RF
Sunscreen doesn't provide complete UV protection, so try to wear dark, tightly woven clothing when you go out, preferably with a sunscreen that covers your arms and legs.
And be sure to wear a sun umbrella with a sun protection factor (choose dark, vinyl, double layer effect is better). If you can't get an umbrella, wear a wide-brimmed hat (a sunscreen mask is better when you don't need to show your face) to protect your skin as much as possible.
Also, don't forget to wear sunglasses, which are not only the key to protecting the eyes, but also the sun protection of the eyes. It is best to use surround sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB types of ultraviolet rays.
Do the above points well, basically to say that you are effective sun protection, can really protect the skin.
What is heartbreaking is that even if most people know to protect themselves from the sun, they are still "pretending to be sunscreen", and they have failed.
In addition, a few more nagging words, if you want to prevent skin cancer, you should also pay attention to:
Regularly check the skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms, hands, legs, feet, and private areas.
For newly emerging bumps, nodules, moles, sores, freckles and tumors, it is necessary to pay attention to and seek medical treatment in time to rule out the possibility of skin cancer.