Why do we wear sunscreen ? What's a tan ?

Why do we wear sunscreen?  What's a tan? 

We are all told to wear sunscreen when it's warm, but why? And why don't we get told to wear sunscreen in the winter?  The are all good questions, but to start we need to cover a few topics and really clarify what everything means, so we can have a thorough understanding...



                                  What is SPF ?

Every bottle of sunscreen has the 3 letters written in large on the packaging "SPF"--but what does it stand for?  SPF stands for "Sun Protection Factor", how much protection from UVB radiation (which I will explain later, well soon). It is measured between 1 and 50+; companies are not allowed to advertise anything over 50+ as studies have show ineffectiveness therefor it may cause unnecessary competition between businesses.

What does the number mean ? (SPF 15, SPF 30,etc.)

To put into simple terms, SPF 15 would allow a person that burns in the sun after 10 minutes burn after 150. (10x15=150).

UVA/UVB/UVC

The sun emits a spectrum of ultraviolet rays throughout the day and ALL year around, scientists have named them A-C-- C being the shortest wavelength of light and A being the longest and most penetrable.

UVC is absorbed by the ozone layer so we don't really need to worry about it.

UVB reaches the skin's outer surface, responsible for sunburns(which I will be talking about shortly), it doesn't penetrate glass--so it can't get you in your house! And is most intense between 10am and 2pm.
Also plays a role in the synthesis of Vitamin D3 in the skin, which again I will talk about later.


UVA is what causes a tan. However  has been linked to skin damage in many studies, it and UVB have been named carcinogenic (can cause cancer) because of their potential of causing DNA damage, directly and indirectly-- this can lead to cancer and apoptosis (cell death).



But the worst- UVA is responsible for 90% of ageing of the skin which leads to wrinkles.















Sunscreen

It's pretty important at blocking those nasty rays, tans are nice and to be fair I could do with one, but still we need to be protected from sun burns, skin cancer, and ageing. Containing either Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide; they are 2 common active ingredients in the sunscreen that block UV rays. 
    
There are several types of suncreams: ones that block only UVA, some that only block UVA and then most popular the ones that block UVA/UVB which is what you should look out for when buying a bottle of suncream.

DMK's trans-dermal sunscreen will protect you from both UVA/UVB rays all year around. I where it everyday as a part of my skin-care regime. It's SPF 30, it's non-comedogenic(doesn't block pores, perfect for acne-prone skin) and you can put other products on top of it--for girls, makeup can be easily worn on top with-out any problems.

If you would like to purchase DMK sunscreen or start DMK treatment call/text Susanne Williams on her mobile; 07768902350 

To find out about DMK treatment you can read my blog post that I made here:


http://dyingforclearskin.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-treatment-danne-in-this-post-i.html

So should I wear sunscreen all year around? 

The answer I hope has been explained; that yes you should, the sun emits UV rays all year around, albeit more in the summer, but still enough to cause photo-ageing(light ageing) in other months from UVA rays. 

You can still get a tan, the skin can age and burn inside with enough exposure, the windows absorb some UV light but not all. So yes wear sunscreen inside, all day, everyday. 

What's a tan? 

A tan is your skin's natural-way of protecting you from UV rays, yet don't think a tan is an excuse to not wear sunscreen- no. A good bronze tan will only act as an SPF-4 sunscreen  so keep topping your sunscreen up throughout the day even when you look like a Dorito. 

Melanin is the reason for your skin colour, melanin is produced by the body from cells called "Melanocytes", when UVB rays damage the skin, the Melanocytes then produce the Melanin and the skin colour changes. 

What to do with a burn? 

The first night after being on holiday is what I remember the most as i always burn, I look like a tomato, I cannot lay down in bed on my back due to the burn. Moisturising the skin helps, but will be very painful. 

 My dermatologist Susanne Williams said to use Beta-gel on your skin within 30 minutes of having the burn and the skin will not "recored" the trauma in the skin cell, also continue wearing the Sunblock to stop any further burning.










Why doesn't my friend burn? But I do? 


It's down to genetics and your Fitzpatrick type explained here: 

Please remember to subscribe to this blog, the next post will be a photo-update of my skin over the past 2 months...it's amazing! All to come.

Enjoy your summer.

Will x