Contents
Elena’s light skin is especially prone to sunburn. To learn how to avoid this and learn how to better protect the skin, she turned to a dermatologist. Since then, Elena can take sunbaths without harm to her skin. Here is her story.
UVA RAYS: AND AS IN THE WORDS AGING (“AGEING”) AND ALLERGY
UVA rays, which reach the surface of the earth all year round and even through clouds, make up 95% of all ultraviolet radiation. They penetrate clouds, glass and the epidermis. Unlike UVB rays, they act painlessly, however, they penetrate very deep into the skin and reach the dermis cells. The rays provoke the synthesis of free radicals, and their effect is felt afterwards:
- photoaging: a change in the direction of elastin and collagen fibers, as a result of which the skin loses its elasticity, wrinkles appear;
- hypersensitivity to the sun, more commonly called allergies (redness, itching, summer sun dermatitis);
- pigmentation disorders (pregnancy mask, age spots);
- skin cancer.
SITUATION
Elena, when did you get sunburn?
Last summer, during the holidays, I rested at the seaside. I wanted to get a tan, so I spent a lot of time in the sun and wasn’t too careful. I even used tanning oil and wallowed in the sun all day … And as a result I got a severe, very painful sunburn!
SYMPTOMS
What did you feel?
The skin burned, it even began to peel off. Every night I put on restorative creams and wore a T-shirt even when I was swimming. The redness subsided after only a few days. I promised myself that next summer I would not repeat the same mistakes. So before the holidays, I made an appointment with a dermatologist.
SOLUTION
What did he advise you?
He advised using an SPF 50 cream and avoiding the sun from 12:00 to 16:00. He also gave a lot of other tips! Thanks to these little tricks, I was able to tan, not burn! Now I do not save on sunscreen and prefer to wear a beach hat!
UVB RAYS: B AS IN “BURNS” OR “BRONZED SKIN”
UVB rays make up 5% of all ultraviolet that reaches the earth’s surface. They contain a large amount of energy, and some of them are blocked by clouds and glass. These rays can penetrate the epidermis. Thanks to them, people not only sunbathe, but also burn, allergies appear, and skin cancer can develop. That’s why it’s important to protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.