Sun exposure and skincare have been hot topics well... since we walked in the sun. 

Humans, while intelligent (mostly), are creatures rather exposed to the elements.  We're the only ones who really need clothing, and have to chew our food.  

This article will examine how the sun that brightens our days can affect our skin, what we can do about it, and why it's a good time to start using SPF sunscreen at any age. 

Why do we need sun exposure?

Yes, I am starting here.  As creatures of the light, we do need the sun.  It provides much-needed brightness and helps us generate Vitamin D essential for supporting many bodily functions and for helping us beat off depression with the stick.

That being said, if we run around in the sun unaware of the risks we are taking, we're going to have a bad time.  

We only need about ten minutes of sun exposure several times a week to get enough Vitamin D  anyways. 

Nutrition is a primary source of Vitamin D, and we absorb it from many fruits and vegetables.  Vitamin D supplements can also be helpful, especially in times when you don't see the sun in your commute to and from work during the short daytime hours of wintertime.  Seasonal depression due to shorter daytime hours is a real ailment that affects many North Americans, especially in wintertime. 

Sun exposure and the body

So we need the sun and it can also be harmful to us.  Where do we stand!?  Well, apparently not too long in direct sunlight, that's for sure. 

Nobody said to be afraid of the sun and live indoors all the time either.  Psst!  The sun is there too!  Through windows!  

Although many of us are introverted human equivalents of house plants, even our plant counterparts need sunshine too. 

You can enjoy the sun and stay protected at the same time.  You can manage your time outdoors by taking breaks from the sun and applying SPF sunscreen before going outside, and you can reapply it as needed. 

Prolonged sun exposure can also cause heat stress and even sunstroke.  Symptoms of heat stress can range from exhaustion and deliriousness to fainting.  And symptoms of sunstroke can be seizures, and the person will need emergency treatment/hospitalization.  Contrary to popular belief, this can happen in various climates. 

What makes the sun harmful to our skin itself is the ultraviolet (UV) rays that can affect skin tissue. 

Since UVA and UVB rays bounce off reflective surfaces on earth, from clouds to the sidewalk, it is a good idea to incorporate sunscreen into your daytime skincare regimen. 

Wear sunscreen.  Even if you wear an umbrella for a hat. 

Dermatologists and surgeons often find skin cancer lesions under the chin and on the ears, places where people forget to apply sunscreen or that are not often protected by caps and sunglasses. 

It is a common misconception that using SPF sunscreen will make the skin "lazy" and it will then become lax in its natural sun protection.  It does not. 

Just like how many of the body's functions occur on their own, we would still be responsible to help them along.  This is why we have hygiene and maintenance practices.  

Incorporating sunscreen into your daily daytime skincare regimen is not the same as say... incorporating an antibiotic as if it is an extended-use vitamin because that can affect the effectiveness of a body's immune system. 

The skin naturally has its own sun protection.  And SPF supplements its natural sun protection.  Especially when the skin can become overexposed and exhausted for years on end, even though most of the sun exposure is had during a daily commute to and from school or work.  

Sun exposure and the skin

There is a reason SPF sunscreen is the top three skincare products dermatologists recommend. 

Sun exposure not only affects the surface of skin but can damage underlying connective tissue, affecting the tenacity of the skin and forming more wrinkles. 

Sun exposure is often why our skin develops more wrinkles and seems to age prematurely. 

Wrinkles are not the only thing that affects the skin.  There are sun spots and other indicators of damage.  The skin can suffer in health when continually exposed to UVA and UVB rays, losing its elasticity and either becoming leathery or tender and thin.  Sun exposure can even affect the DNA of the body that is responsible for cells' regeneration, including that of skin cells, and can affect the cells' ability to heal. 

Both UV (ultraviolet) rays can penetrate the skin, causing damage, with UVB responsible for most sunburn, and UVA also responsible for tissue damage. 

Though continual sun exposure can increase the risk of skin cancer, persons across professions and ethnicities.

The amount of pigment or melanin in the skin helps to give it its colour and natural protection against sun exposure.  However, people with deep skin tones still get sunburn and still develop skin cancer even when they never remembered getting sunburn in their life.

With the amount of research and information we now have in the postmodern era about the effects of sun damage, it is still mind-blowing how many of us are nonchalant about sun exposure.  

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. 

And it is a type of cancer that can be prevented by managing sun exposure and using SPF sunscreen. 

A symptom of skin cancer is lesions that may first appear as small discoloured spots on the skin that is usually exposed to the sun.  This discoloration is more difficult to notice in persons with deeper skin tones.  The spot can root deep into the tissue and be difficult to separate from it. 

It is a common misconception that skin cancer only affects the skin.  But skin cancer, as with many other types of cancer, can spread and affect other organs of the body. 

For example, skin cancer can start on the face, shoulders, and chest, and end up affecting breast tissue, carrying deeper into the organ. 

Getting sunburn after sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer, and so does nonchalant management of our sun exposure even back from when we were children.  

What to do about sun exposure

Managing our sun exposure can start and should start from a very young age. Many children begin to develop their own habits about sun exposure long before we realize it.  We can teach them and model for them habits that they can carry through a lifetime.  And better management of our sun exposure can start at any age. 

Good management of sun exposure involves taking breaks from the sun, opting for more shade instead of direct sunlight, applying SPF sunscreen, and reapplying it as needed. 

If you notice a spot or discoloration or a mole on your skin that doesn't seem to be a blemish from say... acne or eczema or a bruise, it would be a good idea to get that spot checked out by your doctor or dermatologist, especially of the spot is irregular in shape, or you notice that its size changed, as it could be a skin cancer lesion. 

Use SPF sunscreen as directed.  Many people forget to reapply sunscreen especially when they are doing water activities.  Sunscreen breaks down within an hour to 90 minutes of the skin's contact with water and the sunscreen will need to be reapplied. 

It is a common misconception that the SPF (sun protection factor) label on sunscreen means the duration of time you are protected, e.g., SPF 15 for 15 minutes, SPF 30 for 30 minutes, and SPF 50 for 50 minutes.  It does not.  It stands for strength of protection.  All sunscreen breaks down within two hours of sun exposure and will need to be reapplied anyways. 

It is also good to know that sunscreen takes some time to activate in the shade after applying it to the skin.  Labels usually say "apply 15 minutes before sun exposure". 

Therefore, slathering on sunscreen when you're already in the open sun on the beach is not the best way to protect your skin and is not getting the best out of the product.  

Reapplying sunscreen doesn't need to be done on skin that needs to be washed again.  But the skin should at least be towel dried from sweat or water.  Sunscreen can also be reapplied over makeup.  You can opt for the spray-on or powder forms of sunscreen for this purpose.  However, sunscreen still needs to be applied by lightly rubbing or pressing the product into the skin.  Therefore, spraying it on like a mist of  bug repellant won't do your skin justice. 

Summary

Here's a recap for your next set of daytime hours and your next day at the beach. 

1. Sun exposure helps us generate Vitamin D, but excess sun exposure can lead to skin damage and risk of skin cancer for any skin tone. 
2. Deeper skin tones have more natural sun protection, but people with deeper skin tones can still develop skin cancer. 
3. Anyone can be at risk of sun damage or skin cancer, even if they never remembered having sunburn before, and even if the majority of their sun exposure for years involves the daily commute to school and work. 
4. The UVA/UVB rays from the sun can prematurely age the skin, and even affect the skin's regenerative and healing capacities. 
5. It is wise to start managing sun exposure at a young age, but this can begin at any age.  It involves taking breaks from the sun, opting for more shade instead of open sunlight, applying SPF sunscreen, and reapplying it as needed. 
6. It is a good idea to have your doctor check out certain spots or moles on the skin that are irregular in shape, as this can be a skin cancer lesion. 
7. Use SPF sunscreen as directed so you can get the best out of it for your skin. 

Notes

This article contains no text pictures to ensure that every word can be read aloud by a text-to-speech application. And was tested using Google Chrome’s “Read Aloud” add-on.

Resources

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Bio

Tiffany Persaud is a freelance writer who has written for clients and organizations in Canada and the USA, on topics ranging from books, films and media, to health and employment skills. She has her website (https://tiffany-persaud.writing.io/) where she publishes many pieces just like these each week.

References

Hoss MD., Elika: "Sun's Effect on Skin".  MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.  < https://medlineplus.gov/ency/anatomyvideos/000125.htm >  Nov 18, 2022.  Accessed on February 16, 2023. 

News in Health: "Sun and Skin: The Dark Side of Sun Exposure".  National Institute of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

< https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/07/sun-skin#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20UV%20damage%20can,cancer%20in%20the%20United%20States. > July 2014.  Accessed on February 14, 2023.