Careful sun protection is important to prevent skin cancer and premature skin aging. Which sun protection factor you need depends, among other things, on your skin type, the skin’s own protection time, as well as the length of sunbathing and the intensity of the sun. Inform yourself here extensively about the topic of sun protection and learn with which tips and tricks you can safely prevent sunburn.
Sunscreen and sun milk
The choice of different sun protection products is huge nowadays: sunscreen, suntan lotion or rather a gel or spray? To keep track here is not always easy. In general, it is up to you which form of “sunscreen” you would like to use. After all, each product has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- Gel: Contains little fat and is therefore well suited for people with acne, as well as for athletes.
- Milk: Nourishes the skin particularly well, especially if the antioxidant vitamin E is included.
- Spray: Spreads well on the skin, however, there may be cream loss when spraying.
- Cream: Provides particularly effective protection due to its high fat content, through which the active substances can be better bound.
No matter which product you choose, make sure when buying that the cream protects against UV-A and against UV-B rays. This is the rule in Germany, but a look at the packaging still can not hurt. In general, the UV-A protection factor should be at least one-third of the UV-B protection factor.
Correct cream is important
In order for sunscreen to provide its full protection, be sure to use enough cream. To protect the entire body, about 30 milliliters of sunscreen are needed – the equivalent of about three tablespoons. Spread the cream evenly over the skin, otherwise the protective effect will be reduced. Small help: divide the body into the following 13 parts and use two finger lengths of sunscreen per part:
- Face and neck
- Décolleté
- Right arm
- Left arm
- Upper back
- Lower back
- Abdomen
- Right thigh
- Left thigh
- Right lower leg
- Left lower leg
- Right foot
- Left foot
Be sure to apply extra care to so-called sun terraces such as ears, nose or the top of the foot.
Self-protection time of the skin
Which sun protection factor you need to use depends largely on the self-protection time of the skin. This is between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the skin type. During this time, the skin is protected from UV radiation even without sunscreen. How high the skin’s own protection is depends on the thickness of the corneal layer (light callosity) and the degree of tanning of the skin (pigmentation). UV light can increase the skin’s own protection somewhat: Namely, over time, the thickness of the corneal layer and the pigmentation increase. As a result, the incident UV rays are better filtered and the skin is better protected.
Sunscreen prolongs the self-protection time
Using a sunscreen can extend the skin’s self-protection time. The higher the sun protection factor, the longer the protective effect lasts. You can find out the maximum time you can stay in the sun by multiplying your skin’s self-protection time by the sun protection factor you use. To be on the safe side, however, you should only spend two-thirds of the calculated time in the sun. The self-protection time cannot be extended by reapplying sunscreen. The self-protection time can only be extended once. Once the maximum time has been reached, you should refrain from further sunbathing on the same day. Neither the sun protection factor nor the self-protection time of the skin can be increased by reapplying sunscreen. However, it still makes sense to reapply the cream, because water and sweat cause some of the sunscreen and thus the protective effect to be lost over time.
Sun protection for the hair
Not only our skin, but also our hair suffers from too much UV radiation. Especially in combination with salt water or chlorine, it often happens that the hair becomes shaggy and brittle. To prevent this, special UV products for hair are recommended. For example, there are sprays that contain a special UV filter.They often contain additional nourishing active ingredients that make the hair supple again.
Protect allergic skin from the sun
If you have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies, you should choose your sunscreen carefully. It is best to reach for products without emulsifiers and without preservatives. Also, test the sunscreen carefully on a small area of skin first. Afterwards, wait at least 24 hours to see if your skin has an allergic reaction. If you are unsure which product is suitable for you, it is best to seek advice at a pharmacy.
Prevent skin aging and skin cancer
Careful sun protection is important to prevent premature skin aging and skin cancer. For one thing, UV radiation from the sun can cause changes in connective tissue. This can lead to increased wrinkling over time. On the other hand, UV radiation can also alter the DNA of skin cells. Such damage to the genetic material can be partially repaired by the body’s own repair mechanisms. However, these mechanisms are not always successful. Particularly in the case of very extensive or repeated damage, this can lead to permanent changes in the genetic material of the skin cells. Over time, skin cancer may then develop from such mutated cells.
