A Healthy Guide to… Suntanning 101

Ok the summer ‘s here and you’re ready to finally embrace the sun and start the tanning sessions as  don’t deny it, everything looks better with a tan. Ok let’s get started! So what is sun protection? It’s basically protecting the body from the adverse effects of sunlight. Aside from the hazards of heat, the sun poses the danger of sunburn, which can permanently damage the skin and cause skin cancer, precancerous changes in the skin, as well as premature wrinkling and signs of aging. Exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun is a known risk factor for the development of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers

However; you might be confused by all the sun protection products available out there which exist in all formats. Sunscreen is any substance or material that protects the skin from UV radiation. Sunscreens are available as lotion, cream, ointment, gel, or spray that. can be applied to the skin. Now, most of you have heard of SPF as it’s usually specified on sun protection products. SPF, an abbreviation for sun-protection factor, is a number such as 15, 30, or 50 that indicates the degree of sunburn protection provided by sunscreens. Essentially the higher number just means you can stay out longer in the sun without getting burned. For broad protection, look for sunscreens with avobenzone, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, all of which block UVA. For every day use choose sunscreens that are at least SPF 30as anything higher doesn’t provide that much added benefit. It takes a lot of sunscreen to actually achieve the stated level on the tube! For some reason I always thought you needed a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face, but it turns out you only need 1/4 or 1/3 of a teaspoon to adequately cover your face. A shot glass of sunscreen is what you need to cover your whole body. For more in depth information on
specific sunscreens, check out this link.

In summary, tanning is not really healthy but moderate and safe exposure to the sun is healthy, providing necessary vitamin D.    Therefore following these 3 steps will ensure you’re being as healthy as possible when trying to achieve that bronzed look:

Step 1. Repair your tan and seek alternatives to the sun
•       If you frequent the tanning salon, give it up immediately. Look at the tanning bed as a carcinogenic, a concentrated dose of dangerous UV rays at point-blank range.
•       Repair damaged skin. Use a topical treatment that contains vitamin A. • If you can’t give up on that glow, opt for an alternative. Try bronzer. It will help you achieve a similar look without posing any of the cancer risks. Bronzers are a safe option because they sit on the top of the skin (as opposed to being absorbed by the skin). Do not go spray-tanning. The microparticles in the spray can be inhaled and may irritate the lungs. Avoid self-tanners; some of the active browning ingredients in self-tanners may damage the DNA of skin cells.

Step 2: Limit sunbathing to a few hours a day, be sensible, don’t bake in the sun!

Step 3: Choose that sunscreen carefully. The single best ingredient in a sunscreen is zinc oxide; the second best is titanium dioxide.  And on a more serious note check some frightening skin cancer facts, it’ll make you think twice about using sunscreen!