Why is Sun Exposure Harmful for Skin?
Sunlight has many positive effects on your body. It regulates your circadian rhythm to keep your sleep patterns regular, so you sleep at night and are awake in the daytime. Sunlight also makes vitamin D, which is critical for health and bone function. However, sunlight can also be harmful to the skin.
How Does the Sun Harm Skin?
Sunlight travels to the Earth as a mixture of both invisible and visible waves (also known as rays). The longer waves are harmless to humans, but the shorter waves are not. These shorter waves are ultraviolet light or UV and can cause issues. The longer of the UV rays are called UVA rays, and the shorter ones are called UVB rays.
UVA rays, the longer of the two, are much more effective at penetrating deep into your skin, which is a major part of the reason they are associated with aging and long-term skin damage. Conversely, when you have excessive exposure to the UVB rays, the skin damage is much closer to the surface and presents itself in the form of a sunburn. However, both types of rays can cause damage to your skin. When UV rays enter your skin cells, it upsets the processes that affect your skin’s appearance and growth.
With repeated and extended exposure to these rays over time, it can contribute to the breakdown of collagen and lead to decreasing skin elasticity. Your skin can even become thinned like tissue paper, wrinkled, or thickened and leathery. Plus, the more exposure you have, the soon your skin begins to age.
Your skin combats this constant process by attempting to repair or prevent damage by shedding the dead skin cells and replacing them. You may have noticed your skin peeling after a sunburn and then looking normal after about a week. But as you grow older, this process slows and it becomes more difficult for your skin to repair itself.
UV damage, over time, can take its toll on your skin and the connective tissues which lie underneath. So, your skin will start to develop more noticeable lines and wrinkles. In addition to using a good sunscreen, it is a good idea to incorporate a moisturizer to help aid your body in its natural battle to combat premature aging, such as with Aloderma's Aloe Firming & Rejuvenating Cream from ALODERMA, which is enriched with Hyaluronic Acid and Jojoba Seed Oil to help prevent the loss of collagen, smooths out wrinkles and defends against signs of aging.
How to Prevent Sun Damage
There are ways to prevent damage to your skin from the sun. Using sunscreen is the first way. The higher the SPF count is, the more your skin is protected from UV rays with sunscreen. SPF of 15 or greater is recommended. If you use a broad exposure sunblock, it blocks both the UVB and UVA rays.
Plus, you should really attempt to avoid extended and continuous exposure to the sun, since too much sun is harmful. This is especially the case during the peak sun-strength hours between 10 AM and 4 PM. You can go and sit or lie in the shade, go inside for a while, or use an umbrella. You should also cover up and wear clothing that protects you from the sun's UV rays, especially if you aren't wearing sunscreen.
Remember that UV rays can reflect off surfaces like concrete, snow, sand, and water. There is more of a risk of being sunburnt if you're in these areas because it compounds the amount of rays you are receiving. You can get sunburnt if you're skiing or even if it's cloudy outside.
You can get a tan safely by using a sunless self-tanner. There are also sprays, lotions, and tinted makeup that will give you the color you want without damaging your skin. Plus, there are airbrush tans that can be offered at salons. However, remember that a fake tan will not protect you from the sun's rays. You will still need sunscreen if you are out in the sun.
Recovering after Sun Exposure
To help hydrate and support your skin's natural repair mechanism, we can't recommend Pure Aloe Vera Gel enough. Its' ability to penetrate your skin to hydrate and moisturize while also cooling on application is really unrivaled in terms of its ability to help soothe skin after sun exposure. Nourish your skine while locking in moisture to provide you with soft, silky skin.
We also highly recommend the Aloe Firming & Rejuvenating Serum, which is enriched with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. This serum helps diminish the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Plus, it promotes your skin’s natural renewal while restoring the skin’s youthful firmness.
Unfortunately there is no real way to reverse the damage that sun exposure causes, but hopefully this blog post helps with ways to prevent future skin damage and also how ALODERMA products can help restore the appearance of your skin and diminish the visible impacts of sun exposure.
references:
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/07/sun-skin
https://familydoctor.org/effects-early-sun-exposure/