The sun that we love so much has a profound and prolonged effect not just on our environment but on our skin too. Exposure to the ultra-violet rays causes changes to the skin that is not always beneficial such as premature ageing and different types of skin cancers.  Although we need the sun to metabolise certain vital vitamins our bodies need to remain healthy, the long-term constant exposure will causes irreparable irreversible damage that is quite often not immediately visible.

Dr Thomas Fitzpatrick developed the Fitzpatrick Skin Scale to help us analyse the skin type’s tolerance to sun exposure. Although Asian and Black skins contain more melanin giving them greater protection from the harmful rays of the sun then Caucasian skins, they too can suffer from over-exposure to the sun’s rays resulting in pigmentation, dark marks or patches.  Wearing a good sun-protection is a must for all skin types regardless of ethnicity as the damage ultra-violet rays such as UVA or UVB do can never be underestimated.

KNOW YOUR SUN RAYS

The sun’s rays are classed in three different categories: UVA; UVB & UVC. Their classification is based on their wave length from the Sun to Earth.  UVA & UVB are the most harmful as they reach the Earth, UVC does not.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Avoid the sun during peak hours. Generally, this is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Water, snow, sand and concrete reflect light and increase the risk of sunburn. Wear sun protective clothing. This includes pants, shirts with long sleeves, sunglasses and hats. Use sunscreen. Look for broad-spectrum* coverage with an SPF of at least 30. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you’re swimming or sweating.

*Broad Spectrum – There are two types of UV light that can harm your skin — UVA and UVB. A broad-spectrum sunscreen protects you from both. UVA rays can prematurely age your skin, causing wrinkling and age spots. UVB rays can burn your skin. Too much exposure to UVA or UVB rays can cause skin cancer. The best sunscreen offers protection from UV light.

WHAT IS SPF?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF shows how well it protects you against UVB rays. (UVA protection isn’t rated.) Manufacturers calculate SPF based on how long it takes to sunburn skin treated with the sunscreen as compared to skin with no sunscreen. Experts recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Sunscreens with SPFs greater than 30 provide only a small increase in UV protection and high-number SPFs last the same amount of time as low-number SPFs.

Sunscreen is often not applied thoroughly or thickly enough, and it can be washed off during swimming or sweating. As a result, sunscreen might be less effective than the SPF number suggests.

WHAT DOES WATER RESISTANT MEAN?

If it says water resistant it means that the SPF is maintained for up to 40 minutes in water. If it says very water resistant means the SPF is maintained for 80 minutes in water

WHEN YOU USE SUNSCREEN:

• Apply generous amounts of sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before you go outdoors.
• Use sunscreen on all skin surfaces that will be exposed to the sun, such as your neck, the tops of your feet, your ears and the top of your head. Apply a lip balm or lipstick with an SPF to your lips.
• Check the sunscreen’s expiration date.
• Avoid using sunscreen on children younger than age 6 months. Instead, try to limit sun exposure.
• Since UV light can pass through clouds, use sunscreen even when it’s cloudy. Use sunscreen year-round, but don’t let any product lull you into a false sense of security about sun exposure. A combination of shade, clothing, sunscreen and common sense is your best bet.

THE FITZPATRICK SCALE

Below is a Sun Protection guide using the Fitzpatrick Scale to help you buy the correct Sun protection.

PLEASE NOTE: this is only a guide and you must take into consideration the intensity of the Sun and how much you will be exposed, to wherever you are.