Sun protection: Armory check

Almost all forms of life in one way or another require sunlight to survive. But like it’s said, excess of anything is bad. While sunlight brings with it life, there are times when sunlight can be a harbinger of destruction. Our planet’s atmosphere blocks about 98 percent of the Sun’s UV rays from getting through to us. The 2 percent that gets through brings with it both good and bad effects.

Here are the good effects:

1. It triggers our bodies to produce vitamin D.
2. Helps some skin conditions like psoriasis.
3. Helps stimulate our brain for “happy” chemicals like tryptamines.
4. Used to effectively sterilize or kill micro-organisms.

And now for the bad:

1. Over exposure causes skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
2. Seriously damages your skin and causes sunburn.
3. Over-exposure suppresses our immune system and reduces its effectiveness.
4. Can cause quite a few problems with eyesight.
5. Speeds up the skin aging process.

As you can see, there is good reasoning behind the idea of protection from the sun.

So here are a few ways for you to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun:

1. Broad-spectrum sunscreen lotions: Sunscreen lotions that protect you from both the UVA and the UVB rays and have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater. The recommended usage is to apply the lotion 30 minutes before heading out and then reapplying it every couple of hours. This holds true even if it is a cloudy day. Some sunscreen lotions are labeled as water resistant. While these lotions may be able to stay on after getting wet, they are still water resistant and not waterproof; and therefore they too need to be reapplied. Reapplication times for water resistant lotions are often given on the labels of these lotions so as to avoid any confusion.
2. Protective clothing: Any clothes that are either thick enough or tightly-woven can be used to reduce your skin’s exposure to the sun. Prime examples would be long sleeved shirts and long pants. Basically any clothing that limits the amount of sunlight your skin gets is recommended. Use light colors that reflect heat and cotton is good choice, as it keeps you cool.
3. Protective accessories: Scarves, shawls and other headgear like caps and hats are good choices when it comes to protecting your head from overexposure to the sun and additionally they can make for a personal fashion statement. Wide-brimmed hats are particularly good as they provide shade for your face and more. One useful tip that you can use to help you decide which item will be more effective, is to use a material that prevents light from passing through.
4. Sunglasses and other eyewear: A common mistake made by the populace is the assumption that because their sunglasses are dark tinted, they cut out the harmful rays of the sun (UVA &UVB). The darkness of the tint of the lens has little to nothing to do with UV protection. Lenses with light colored tints like green, red, grey and yellow, all offer the same amount of protection as the darker tinted variants. One must choose sunglasses that have a labeled UV protection rating. It is also possible to get film layers for your prescription spectacles. Larger frames that are of the wrap around-style are considered to be more protective as they cover the entire eye socket. Consult with your local optician for more detailed information.

We hope that this information comes in handy next time you decide to go update your sun defense armory.