How Much Sun Is Too Much?
Did you know that 15 minutes is all it may take to damage your skin? A glorious sunny day may give you a spring in your step, but could there be a darker side to sunshine? We all know about the damage tanning booths can do, but the sun can also cause harm to our skin destroying elastic tissue and making it prone to wrinkles. It can also cause discolouration or mottling of the skin and can even make small blood vessels under the skin dilate, causing thread veins.
But the really bad news is that sun exposure increases your risk of skin cancer and if you have red or blonde hair, blue or green eyes and/or freckles you are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer.
While you can’t reverse sun damage, you can cut your risks of skin cancer and further damage dramatically with a few simple sunsafe steps:
• Use a high sun protection factor sunscreen;
• If possible, stay out of the sun between 10am and 3pm;
• Be generous with the sunscreen and reapply every couple of hours;
• Protect your youngsters! About 50% of your lifetime sun exposure is likely to happen before the age of 18 and
• If you notice any skin changes that you think might be cancer, don’t delay – see your doctor.
When applying sunscreen make sure you cover the curves of your body as areas, such as the tops of your ears, shoulders and top of your chest are particularly vulnerable to sun burn.
Interested in knowing more about sun damage…. Flannery’s Pharmacy can help with more information and advice, the latest sun protection products and a daily UV Index report.