The ageing sun

The sun, so beautiful and healthful, yet so dangerous. It causes premature ageing, uneven skin pigmentation, burns and worst of all, skin cancer, being a possible end result.
Damaged facial skin looks like thick leather with deeply etched lines. This result doesn't occur over night. It is the result of years of sun abuse. If the skin reaches this damaged stage, the possibility of sun damage reversal by preventative measures is weakened. On the other hand, for those of you who do sun bathe and do not have such vivid implications of sun damage, the chances are you can reverse the effects of sun damage and prevent the results from appearing on your face.
While some skin appears undamaged, it may be hidden deeply under the skin's immediate surface and can only be seen by an ultraviolet light (Wood's lamp). Under this light, even a perfect skin will reveal freckles and uneven pigments under the skin's surface and excess sun also swells the capillaries and broadens the pores. It's a huge price to pay for a golden tan.

UVA is the longest radiation wave. It is not filtered by the ozone and strikes the earth 150 times more than UVB. It does not burn but penetrates the dermis and is the culprit of wrinkles and leathery skin. It lowers immunity.

UVB is the medium radiation wave length. It is not completely filtered by the ozone. It burns the skin and could cause damage to the DNA, altering the skin cells' function. Excessive damage could lead to skin cancer.

UVC is the shortest wave length. It is high energy radiation that has the potential to damage the skin but at this time the ozone absorbs it completely. However, ecologists say that if the ozone should cease to be a fortress because of pollution (airplanes, cars, factories, aerosol cans, etc) then this could be a problem in the future.

Sun tips:

• avoid sunbathing
• if you do sunbathe, do it in the early morning for half and hour to an hour
• paler skins should use SPF30 or more
• darker skins still need protection from the sun and should still cover the body and use a minimum of SPF15
• use the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of sunscreen for an average adult body
• do not scrimp, spread it generously
• cover yourself with a had and clothing
• use sun screen and moisturizer regularly