Why Do You Need To Wear Sunscreen? – Things You Must Know
The majority of people are aware that sunscreen helps protect them from the damaging effects of the sun’s harmful UV rays. Many people use sunscreen in the summertime or when they’re outdoors for prolonged periods. But what happens during the remainder of the year? If you are primarily inside do you need to wear sunscreen all day long?
Why Do You Need To Wear Sunscreen?
The benefits of spending time outdoors are numerous and may help you to get vitamin D. However, too much unprotected time spent in the sun could cause harm to your health. The use of sunscreen can reduce the sun’s exposure (UV) light and reduces the chance of developing skin cancer, which is the most frequent kind of cancer in the U.S.
Sunscreen can also help protect your skin from getting older. It blocks UV rays that affect your skin and can cause wrinkles and age spots, and a red, swollen complexion.
We’ll discuss how sun exposure affects your skin, the advantages of sunscreen for all kinds of skin, and the reasons why it’s beneficial to use sunscreen on a regular basis.
What Are The Benefits Of Sunscreen?
Sunscreen contains various ingredients that block UV rays. This means that your skin is less susceptible to radiation. The ingredients are classified into two broad categories:
Chemical sunscreens work like sponges that absorb sunlight’s rays. They are made up of ingredients like Avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octisalate.
Physical sunscreens (sometimes known as mineral sunscreens) serve as shields that reflect the sun’s radiation. They comprise zinc oxide as well as titanium dioxide.
What Exactly Is Ultraviolet Light And How Harmful It Is To You?
The sun emits a range of light rays that have various wavelengths. Our eyes are sensitive only to a part of this spectrum (called visible light), while other types like UV radiation aren’t visible to us.
The different wavelengths of UV radiation affect the skin in various ways. Below are two types of ultraviolet rays that have harmful effects on the skin.
Ultraviolet A (UVA) is linked with the aging process of the skin.
Ultraviolet B (UVB) can be connected with skin irritation.
Although UVA and UVB radiations affect the skin differently, each causes damage. Both damage DNA within your skin which could cause skin cancer.
What Is SPF?
SPF refers to the sun protection factor it provides against sunburn from UVB radiation.
The SPF number indicates how long it will take to allow UVB radiation to cause redness on your skin if you have applied a particular sunscreen. For instance, If you were to use an SPF 30 according to the directions, the sunscreen would require 30x more time to cause a burn than if you used no sunscreen. Higher SPFs have the ability to block more light. A sunscreen with an SPF 50 can block up to 98% of UV rays, while SPF 100 blocks approximately 99% of the UV Rays. The sunscreen does not block 100 percent.
It is important to remember that SPF is only referring to UVB Rays. Also, it is recommended to consider sunscreens with a broad spectrum -which means they shield against both UVA as well as UVB.
What’s The Most Effective Method To Apply Sunscreen?
Sunscreen is effective; however, it’s only effective if used in a proper way. Here are some tips to adhere to:
Choose a sunscreen that will protect your skin from UVA and UVB radiation (broad range).
Make sure to apply it 30 minutes prior to going out. This provides the skin enough time to absorb the sunscreen and to receive the proper protection.
Be sure to have enough -for adults, this is about sufficient to fill up a glass to the entire body and around one quarter-sized dollop to your face.
Do not forget to cover your ears, lips, and scalp.
Apply sunscreen every 2 hours.
Apply the sunscreen after you sweat or swim, regardless of whether you are wearing a water-resistant sunscreen.
The most important thing to remember is that your sunscreen should have a good sun protection factor. The Minimum recommended is SPF 15, although a sunscreen with SPF30 is considered good enough.
Do You Need To Wear Sunscreen Throughout The Day?
It’s not obvious that sun damage builds in the course of time. Although you may not have much time outdoors, you are always being exposed to ultraviolet radiation on cloudy days as well as through windows. The exposure builds up and could increase the chances of skin cancer and cause damage in the course of time.
Applying sunscreen daily on exposed skin areas, such as your ears, face, and the back of your hands, is a good practice to guard yourself against UV damage.
Alternatives To Sunscreen
Applying sunscreen is a secure and effective method to block harmful UV radiation. However, there are other methods to safeguard yourself that don’t require sunscreen:
Keep shaded (especially between 10 AM and 4 PM).).
Wear sun-protective brimmed hats and brimmed clothing.
Make sure you have an umbrella on your patio.
Make sure you wear sunglasses that can block UVA and UVB. This will protect your eyes as well as the skin around them.
Be aware of what is known as the UV index. It is a measure of the intensity of UV radiation in your neighborhood every day.
Apply a UV-protective window film to your car’s windows.
To Sum Up
Ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of skin cancer as well as aging. You are constantly exposed to them. With time, the damage caused to the skin by the harmful sun rays begins to build up. By applying sunscreen daily, you can protect yourself from skin cancer and other skin diseases. There are many other ways to shield your skin from sun exposure, such as wearing hats and keeping your head in the shade.