Fashion
The DazzlingSun can Age Skin
NoveletteBodden,
Certified Aesthetician
"Give me the splendidsilent sun with all its beams full-dazzling." This splendidsilent sun is vital to the continued existence of all life onthis planet. It gives us light and heat, and it provides energy.Yet, this beneficial giver of life can also do great damage tothe skin. The sun generates ultraviolet radiation. These rayspenetrate both layers of the skin and cause damage to the structure.The ultraviolet radiation dries out the skin and destroys itselasticity, resulting in wrinkling and premature aging.
These adverse reactionstake place over a long period of time. So overexposure to thesun in youth, as in sunbathing, is likely to cause wrinkling andother signs of aging starting in the late thirties to early forties,much sooner than would be expected through the natural aging processalone. Premature aging is partially due to structural damage thataffects the skin's elasticity.
Once the skin has lost itselasticity, it cannot be restored.
One of the skin's main defencesagainst too much sun is its ability to tan. Suntan is a shieldset up by the skin to help prevent the sun's rays from causingdamage to underlying tissues. It is important when sun tanningto do so gradually, in order for the skin to set up its protectivemechanism.
Tanning is nothing morethan the attempt of the skin to protect itself from the ravagesof the sun. As the ultraviolet rays penetrate the skin, the dermisproduces more melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its colour,and darkens. The melanin acts as a barrier to the ultravioletradiation. So, that heavily tanned body - a symbol of beauty -is in reality a sign of overexposure to the sun and damage tothe skin.
Artificial tanning devicesare only marginally safer than natural sunlight. The body's tanningmechanism is the same, regardless of the source of the ultravioletenergy. The claim to safety for these devices is that they screenout the UV-B 'burning' rays and admit only the UV-A 'tanning'rays. While this is true to some extent, current research showsthat UV-A rays penetrate the skin more deeply that UV-B rays andcan also cause harmful effects, and premature aging.
The SPF number on sunscreenproducts indicates the relative degree of protection provided.Products with an SPF rating of 2 to 4 give minimal protectionfrom sunburn, while allowing tanning. Products with an SPF of8 to 15 allow virtually no tanning but give more protection andproducts rated above SPF 15 provide maximum protection.
To avoid problems both nowand in the future, you should limit your exposure to the sun.
If you must sunbathe, youshould avoid exposure between eleven in the morning and four inthe afternoon when the sun's rays are at their strongest.
In addition, you shoulduse a good quality sun block. Keep in mind, however, that a sunblock will not eliminate the risk of sunburn, it only extendsthe time you may expose your skin to the sun before burning begins.
Novelette Bodden
Spa Novell