HEALTH Enjoy the sun safely

Enjoy the sun safely


Skin specialist
Bernie Fahy

The recent sunny spell has been undeniably wonderful – we’re all basking, soaking up the warm rays, the memories of six wet Irish summers fading into the past. In the excitement of it all, it’s easy to forget to take care of your skin. Bad move.  
The sun damages the skin – and it’s not just the pain of sunburn. Worse effects show up as the years progress, not straight away. Although we feel so much better with a tan, the effects of the UVA rays can be frightening: Skin cancer is no joke. It is, however, largely preventable. Good sun protection helps prevent the development of both sun-related skin cancers, as well as premature ageing signs like wrinkles and sun spots.
Interestingly, a recent study reported on irishhealth.ie revealed that almost half of Irish men never use sun protection when in Ireland. According to the findings, 47 percent of men never use sun protection, compared to 19 percent of women. Furthermore, almost half of those who do not use sun protection believe that they don’t need protection, as the sun in Ireland ‘is not that strong’. Wrong!
Sun damage happens when the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays penetrate into the skin and damage cells. You can’t feel this happening, and it can occur even when the sun doesn’t feel very hot. And remember: A tan is a sign of skin damage. Having one won’t protect your skin against sunburn.
 
Using sunscreen properly
Sunscreen are only effective if they are used properly. All sunscreens should be applied 15-20 minutes before sun exposure to allow a protective film to develop, then reapplied after water contact and sweating. Some can lose effectiveness after two hours, so reapply frequently.
All sunscreens have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating. The SPF rating indicates how well a sunscreen protects against ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. If you normally get a sunburn in ten minutes, an SPF 30 extends that by 30 times. So you, in theory, you could last 300 minutes (five hours) before burning. However, even if you’re not in the water, it is likely that it won’t last that long, as you’ll probably be sweating it off, so remember to keep putting more on.
It’s also important to look for UVA protection. SPF ratings don’t tell the whole story – it only refers to protection against UVB rays. Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays also pose risks. Check that   the label states the sunscreen has UVA, broad spectrum or multi-spectrum protection.

Other measures
Other measures that you should take include wearing a wide-brimmed hat; wearing sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays; wearing lip balm that contains sunscreen; and staying out of the sun between 11am and 4pm, when the sun is at its strongest, if possible.

THE SKIN SPECIALIST Bernie Fahy works in Ballinrobe, Westport and Galway. She can be contacted at 086 2220125 or info@bernietheskinspecialist.com. For more information, visit www.bernietheskinspecialist.com.