It’s Labor Day. Summer is
unofficially over. If you or your kids
aren’t back in school already, they’ll more than likely start very soon. It’s time to put away the beach towel, the boogie
boards and the sunscreen, right?
Wrong! Okay…the beach towel and
boogie board can get stowed away, but that sunscreen needs to remain in your
medicine cabinet or bathroom counter! Even
though the hot summer sun won’t be shining so high in the sky, it still emits
those UV rays that damage your skin.
Many people associate heat with sun exposure. If it’s not hot, the sun can’t be causing any
harm…right? The truth is sun exposure
can be damaging even in the cold winter months.
While UVB rays, which cause burning, are weaker in the mornings and
afternoons as well as the non-summer months, UVA rays are at their full
intensity. Yep…UVA rays are as strong in
mid-winter as mid-summer, from sun-up to sun down.
UVA rays are more commonly associated with aging and wrinkling. They also penetrate the skin more deeply than
UVB rays (thus not associated with burning as much). This deeper penetration causes significant
and irreversible damage to your skin that may not be noticed for months or
years down the road. It’s important to
protect yourself year round!
How? Use sunscreen, but be well
aware of what your sunscreen protects.
The SPF rating of a sunscreen indicates its ability to protect against
UVB rays. The SPF rating has no bearing
on how well you’re protected against UVA rays!
It’s important to use a sunscreen that is “broad spectrum” or offers
UVA/UVB protection. Otherwise, you may
not be protected from UVA rays at all!
Even if you have the right sunscreen, it doesn’t offer all the protection
you need. That low autumn or winter sun
plays havoc on your eyes, especially when driving. Most likely you’ll be wearing sunglasses, but
again, it’s important to wear the right type.
Did you know that 70% of UVA rays penetrate glass? Yes…even eye glasses and car window
glass. Don’t simply by glasses with a
darker tint. It’s important to select
sunglasses rated with 100% UV protection…these will deflect the UVA rays as
well as UVB rays.
As the air gets cooler, you’ll most like wear longer sleeves and
slacks. This should provide good sun
protection, but don’t forget your exposed neck, face, ears and hands. Apply sunscreen as mentioned before, but also
wear a hat. A wide-brimmed hat is
preferred over a ball cap in order to protect your neck and ears.
I hope this past summer created great memories while you protected
yourself against the sun. But please don’t
forget that sun protection is a year-round event. Stay sun safe!
