While most people are excited when summer comes around, not many are excited about the damaging effects and aging the summer sun can cause. The increased exposure to sunlight can bring about a boost in vitamin D, but also the risk of sun burn, wrinkles, sunspots, and even cancer if one isn’t careful. In order to make the most of the summertime fun in the sun, it’s heavily encouraged to make use of high-SPF sunscreen.
Dangerous UV Rays
Before getting into the technicalities of how SPF products help one maintain their youthful appearance, it is important to recognize why they are needed in the first place. In simple terms, the sun emits rays that help keep the world a place of light. Unfortunately, not all of those rays are beneficial to people’s skin. In fact, UVA and UVB rays are known to cause either surface or deep tissue burns that can leave scars and discoloration.
So, people who live in areas that get a lot of sun exposure during the months of high temperatures are definitely at risk of getting sunburned. This normally takes place in the summer when people are going to the beach and forget to take the necessary precautions.
The true danger, however, does not lie in the potential burns that will affect one’s skin. On the contrary, that is the least of one’s concern if they are known to regularly spend prolonged periods of time outdoors. The most important worry should be skin cancer that has grown to be the most common type of cancer in the United States. A shocking statistic that supports this is the fact that one in every five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer before they are 70 years old.
Preventative Care
As with a lot of other creams that can be applied to one’s body, SPF products are meant to be used in a preventative way. This means that people should take advantage of them in order to prevent or minimize the potential side-effects of something. In this case, burned skin or cancer are some of the conditions that one will want to get ahead of. Fortunately, these products indeed work and have been proven through a plethora of research to have an inverse relationship with skin cancer. In translation, the more that someone uses sunscreen, the less likely they are to succumb to this terrible condition during their lifetime.
The Danger Exists Year-Round
According to a New York State licensed ITEC Medical Esthetician, Abigail Trudden, SPF products were not designed to only be utilized in the summer. Of course, the danger of getting sunburned is much higher during this season as people spend more time outside and with less coverage from their clothing during beach visits and swimming sessions. Nevertheless, the UV rays that can burn someone’s skin are present year-round and can be just as dangerous in December as they are in July.
For example, people who work in offices with windows could be getting burned without even knowing it as the rays can travel through glass without any issues. Another great example is driving to work when it is usually impossible to hide every part of someone’s skin, which is, after all, the body’s largest organ. So, developing a habit of applying SPF products regardless of the season is a perfect way to beat any diseases that may slowly be developing.
Aging
Ultimately, it is important to note that SPF products are very good for visual appearance as well. In other words, sunscreen will help keep moisturization levels up so that the dryness and potential cracks are avoided. As Abigail Trudden states, this can slow down the onset of wrinkles that make people look much older than they really are. Not to mention the fact that the vast majority of sunscreens smell extremely pleasant and help reduce sweating or irritation that could be painful.