Occasionally I have this weird feeling/smelling skin. Kind of oily with a slight sheen to it and a hint of coconut scent can be
detected. This isn’t a natural thing of course, but sunscreen. Living in The Sunshine State I have grown up hearing a lot about skin cancer, sun burns, etc. I try to do what I can to keep my skin healthy but I don’t always keep up with it. After all, the packaging for sunscreen usually are filled with lies. Lies I tell you! Ultra sweat-proof, non oily and will not run in your eyes…go for a walk on the beach…”Hmm, this is kind of oily…ow, and it’s getting in my eyes!”
I guess I just get reminded of how destructive the sun can be when the summer comes around and instead of feeling a gentle warming from our closest star I feel an unrelenting burning sensation. Especially for the past 8 years or so since I have been shaving my head, that direct path from sun to scalp can really get me beet red in no time if I don’t take the right precautions. So I have to be a bit more careful than in previous years.
I try to stay out of the sun as much as I can these days and wear sunscreen whenever possible. Should help keep me from getting skin cancer or skin that makes me look much older than I am. Of course there is the risk of getting so pale that I look like Nosferatu, or his little brother.
However the sun is not a burning ball of gas bent on the destruction of all human kind. The vampiricly-inclined aside (talking about the cool ones, not those sparkly kids), the sun can affect us both negatively and positively. Per some information dug up on ScienceLearn:
Positive (beneficial) effects of UV
- Triggers vitamin D – UV from the Sun is needed by our bodies to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D helps strengthen bones, muscles and the body’s immune system. It may also lower the risk of getting some kinds of cancers such as colon cancer.
- Helps some skin conditions – UV is used in the treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis. This is a condition where the skin sheds its cells too quickly and develops itchy, scaly patches. Exposure to UV slows the growth of the skin cells and relieves the symptoms.
- Helps moods – Research suggests that sunlight stimulates the pineal gland in the brain to produce certain chemicals called ‘tryptamines’. These chemicals improve our mood.
Negative (harmful) effects of UV
- Causes skin cancer – UV is an environmental human carcinogen. It’s the most prominent and universal cancer-causing agent in our environment.
- Causes sunburn – UV burns the skin. Sunburn is a burn that occurs when skin cells are damaged. This damage to the skin is caused by the absorption of energy from UV rays. Extra blood flows to the damaged skin in an attempt to repair it, which is why your skin turns red when you are sunburnt.
- Ages skin – UV speeds up the aging of skin, since the UV destroys collagen and connective tissue beneath the top layer of the skin. This causes wrinkles, brown ‘liver’ spots and loss of skin elasticity. Because photo-aging of the skin is cumulative, it is never too late for a person to start a sun protection program. Otherwise, though a tan may look good now, you could be paying for it with wrinkly leathery skin or skin cancer later.
So let’s see, this one would fall into the “too much of a good thing is a very bad thing” category I guess. Too little sun and you could drop some vitamin D, get depressed, and have issues with your psoriasis. Too much and you get burned, look old before your time, and possibly become cancerous.
That whole balance thing I guess. So, for now I think I will keep up a little better and try to take some advice to heart from WebMD:
- Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater 30 minutes before sun exposure and then every few hours thereafter
- Select cosmetic products and contact lenses that offer UV protection
- Wear sunglasses with total UV protection
- Wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeved shirts and pants
- Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible during peak UV radiation hours between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
- Perform skin self-exams regularly to become familiar with existing growths and to notice any changes or new growths
- Eighty percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired before age 18. As a parent, be a good role model and foster skin cancer prevention habits in your child
- Avoid tanning beds
I think I can follow most of those steps and keep myself safe. Of course there is also the option of SunBlock5000, but the warning at the end of the ad makes me worried.
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