Why is Sun Protection Important?
While we tend to think of having a tan as ‘healthy’’, it is in fact our bodies way of protecting itself against the potentially harmful radiation emitted by the sun. Being in the sun without protection exposes us to UVA and UVB radiation. UVB is responsible for sunburn while UVA causes long term skin damage. As UVA has a longer wavelength it reaches the deeper layers of skin and damages the fibres which keep our skin taute resulting in sagging and wrinkling in later life. Exposure to the sun’s radiation also increases our risk of melanoma (skin cancer).
Some Facts about UVA and B Radiation:
- UVA and B are not hot which means that we can burn and damage our skin without realising it.
- Up to 80% of solar radiation can penetrate cloud which explains why we can get sun burnt during overcast days.
- Glass shields us from UVB (preventing burning), but not UVA which means that we can still get long term skin damage from sun exposure near a window or in the car.
- Our skin type determines how sensitive we are to UV radiation. People with fair or freckled skin, blond or red hair, and blue eyes have a higher risk of sunburn.
Selecting Sun Protection Products
There are a very wide range of sunscreen products on the market and it can often be hard to select the right one. There are two main things to check for when selecting your sunscreen:
Firstly, it should block both UVA and UVB radiation ( there are products available which block only UVB and so prevent burning but not longer term skin damage).
The second thing to check is the sun protection factor, or SPF number . This number is a measure of the sunscreen’s ability to prevent burning by UVB radiation. For example, if it takes 10 minutes for unprotected skin to turn red then SPF15 prevents reddening 15 times longer (150 minutes) SPF 50 is the most effective blocking 98% of UVB compared with SPF15 which blocks only 93%.
The Irish Cancer Society recommends that a broad spectrum sunscreen (one which blocks both UVA and UVB) with an SPF of 15 or higher should be used every day. If you spend a significant portion of the day outdoors you should select a product with an SPF of 30 or higher.
Sunscreen should always be applied liberally about 30 minutes before going into the sun and should be reapplied frequently, especially after swimming.