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UV Ray Round-Up
We are all aware of the potentially harmful effects that UV rays can have on our skin. We’ve all experienced sunburns and are well aware of how leaving our skin unprotected can lead to photoaging, excessive dryness, premature wrinkles and ultimately skin cancer.
To better understand the UV spectrum and the effects it has on our skin, let’s take a look at the different types of UV rays that affect the skin: UVA and UVB.
UVA rays are constantly bombarding your skin, which is why they are responsible for long-term damage. They are able to penetrate deeper within the skin layers and affect the skin’s structural tissues, which ultimately leads to photoaging. The damage within the skin cells ends up accumulating over time and generates lines and wrinkles along with saggy skin.
UVB rays are responsible for most of the short-term effects of sun damage. It causes sunburn, spots and can even lead to the formation of tumors.
Sunburns are a great example of how UVB rays affect the skin. When you get sunburnt your skin thickens as a defense mechanism. Unfortunately, this causes the skin to act like a sponge and absorb more UVB rays.
Once your skin starts to peel, the UVB damage has reached an acute stage. In an attempt to speed the healing of your skin, your body is killing off the outermost skin cells.
The scary stuff happens when you get burnt repeatedly. After multiple sunburns, the body struggles in letting the skin heal. This leads to the division of damaged cells, which can ultimately turn into a potentially cancerous tumor.
It’s very important to slather on the sunblock or sunscreen as the weather starts to warm up and you find yourself spending more time outside. Your skin will look younger and your health will definitely benefit!
If you have any questions on the different types of UV rays, feel free to let us know. Also, if you have any questions on what types of products to wear this spring, reach out to us Facebook or Twitter.
Image: gtall1, "Barton Fink" , May 16 2010, via Flickr Creative Commons Attribution.
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