Did you know that May is Melanoma month? This is the time of the year when we get excited that the summer is here and go out into the sun not realising that the UV rays are already at a dangerous level for our skin. The sun can damage our skin because it does not have a natural protective barrier from the ultraviolet (UV) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum of the sun’s rays. This UV radiation penetrates deeply into our skin damaging cells which leads to premature ageing and serious conditions such as skin cancer. If you consider the UK alone, more than 70,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year.
It is a common misconception that the sun needs to be hot on our skin to cause the damage, but this is very untrue. The sun can damage the skin when it is hidden behind cloud cover. Clouds may make it seem like significant barrier to the sun but they do not stop the harmful ultra-violet radiation which is why it is as important to take precautions on cloudy days as well as sunny ones.
Skin care guidelines to protect you from the harmful effects of the sun:
- Stay out of direct sunlight between the peak radiation hours of 11am and 3pm when the sun is typically at its strongest and potentially most damaging.
- Do not allow your skin to burn and always where a sunscreen with at least a factor 15+ SPF during the day if you plan to be in the sun.
- Children and infants require extra care. Keep them out of the sun as much as possible and keep them covered. Research has shown that sunburn in childhood greatly increases the risk of skin cancer in later life so make sure that you cover children with a strong sunscreen of at least an SPF of 40+.
- Cover your skin with clothing that you cannot see through (this is more likely to block out the sun), and where a hat to protect your head and sunglasses to protect your eyes.
To protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun it’s important to look for a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 Sunscreen Cream is a powerful sun protection cream, fortified with Avobenzone and Titanium Dioxide it massages easily onto skin providing a powerful sun shield. Another effective sun screen is Procyte TiSilc Sheer SPF 45, a lightweight, non-greasy product that provides a good UV barrier.