Sunscreen And UV Rays - How To Protect Against Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is caused by being over exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. If a person is more genetically predisposed to be more sensitive to UV rays then there is more chance that skin cancer will develop. Typical signs that a person is predisposed to skin cancer is a family history of the disease or a pale complexion that burns easily in the sun. As sunlight is the number one way in which people get exposed to UV rays, much advice is given about how to take precautions so that sunlight does not lead to skin cancer. This article will discuss some of these ideas. In particular it will focus on how sunscreen can help protect your skin and minimize the chances of developing skin cancer.
Before covering how sunscreen works, it should be reiterated that sunscreen is not the only way to protect your skin from the sun. It should be used in conjunction with some of the ideas covered below.
Avoid going out in the Sun when it is strongest. This means from around 11 in the morning through to 3 in the afternoon. Naturally, mid days is the worst time to be out in the Sun. Granted, this may not always be possible, especially if you work outdoors or leave the office for lunch. In this case take other precautions.
Wear clothing that can protect your skin form sunlight. Darker colored clothing works better than lighter colors. cover your arms and legs if practical or comfortable.
Wear a hat when in the sun. This will protect your scalp, face and eyes from UV rays. A wide brimmed hat is best as it provides more protection. Other people use a sun umbrella but a hat is better.
Wear UV protective sunglasses as the eyes can also be damaged by UV rays.
After taking all these precautions you should then apply sunscreen. Cover parts of your body that are not protected by clothing and come into direct contact with the sunlight.
Sunscreen comes in two forms. There is chemical sunscreens that absorb UV rays and physical sunscreens that reflect the UV rays (sometimes referred to as sun blocks).
The sun protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen is often used to illustrate it's strength and effectiveness. Most advice suggests that you use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30+. However the SPF of a sunscreen only applies to UVB radiation. Although this is thought to be the worst form of radiation for skin cancer, recent research suggest that UVA radiation can be just as bad. If you want a sunscreen that protects against both UVB and UVA radiation then you should look at what is marketed as broad spectrum sunscreen.
Sunscreens that act as a sun block are particularly useful if you work outdoors or spend plenty of time in the Sun. They are a thick cream that provides a barrier to the sunlight. People often put them on sensitive parts of the body like the lips and nose.
Sunblock creams will consist of either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (and are sometimes called zinc cream). If you don't fancy having a band of white cream covering your nose then an alternative is ultramicronized titanium or zinc sunscreens. They act in the same way as a sunblock but the cream is clear and is not obvious on the face.
Always reapply sunscreen every 2 hours regardless of if you are active or not. Go for a sunscreen that you like on the skin as this makes it more likely that you will continue to use and reapply it.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
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Get more details on the signs of skin cancer and different types of skin cancers then see symptomsofskincancer.net
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