Skin Protection
If you choose to go out in the sun there are many good ways to stay ‘sun safe’ by protecting your skin from over exposure. Also note that the sun’s UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’re spending the day at the beach, take refuge under a beach umbrella during those hours when the sun’s rays are most intense.
You should also check to find out the day’s UV Index. This index was developed by the National Weather Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, provides a forecast of the expected risk of overexposure to the sun and indicates the degree of caution that you should take when working, playing, or exercising outdoors.
Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a number on a scale that measures the effectiveness of sunscreens. The SPF rating is based solely on the sunscreen’s protection against UVB. The SPF rating is not associated with UVA protection. SPF products range from 2 to as high as 60. The SPF rating is calculated by comparing the amount of time it would take to produce a sun burn after the lotion is applied compared to the time it would take to burn unprotected skin.
If you would normally turn red after 10 minutes in the sun, then your “initial burning time” is 10. If you apply a sunscreen with SPF 2 it would take you 2 times (20 minutes) to reach your initial burning time. If you apply a sunscreen with SPF 15, it would take you 150 minutes (15 x initial burning time of 10 minutes = 150), or 2.5 hours, to reach your initial burning time.
NOTE: SPF 15 blocks 95 percent of UVB. SPFs of 30 or higher only give you 4 percent more protection. A product with SPF 30 does not give you twice as much protection as a product with SPF 15. However it will protect you for twice as long.
Sunblocks and Sunscreens contain a chemical that absorbs UV rays. Sunblocks physically deflect them. SPF products have provided protection from UVB, but until recently they have provided much less UVA protection. New ingredients (octylcrylene and benzophenones) work will against some UVA light. A revolutionary product named Parsol 1789 works well against all UVA wavelengths.
Water Resistance
Sweat-resistant: protects up to 30 minutes of continuous heavy perspiration;
Water-resistant: protects up to 40 minutes of continuous water exposure; and
Waterproof: protects for up to 80 minutes of continuous water exposure. 4,8,10 PABA and its testers demonstrate more resistance to sweating and/or water immersion than do other chemical sunscreens.
Your Eyes and the Sun
Exposing your eyes to UV light can have a detrimental effect on your eyes. Excess exposure to intense sunlight can burn the surface of the eye much like sunburn on the skin. Your eyes do provide some natural protection from the sun’s rays, but like your skin, you must be careful to protect your eyes from overexposure to sunlight. The earth’s diminishing ozone layer, which now filters out less UV light, makes our eyes even more susceptible to ultraviolet rays. UV light is strongest during the hours of 10:00am to approximately 3:00pm. Sun reflected off snow, sand, or water intensifies the level of exposure.
Potential Eye Disorders From UV Exposure
Studies show that over time, unprotected exposure to UV light can contribute to a number of eye complications. Some of these are temporary, but others can permanently damage your vision or require expensive surgery. Damage can include Photokeratitis (temporary blindness), cataracts, Pterygium (growths on the surface of the eye), muscular degeneration, and cancer. What can you do to protect your eyes? According to the American Optometric Association, sunglasses provide one of the best sources of UV protection. While some contact lenses are now available with UV protection, they should not take the place of sunglasses. Good sunglasses block out 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB, and also shield the eyelids from sun exposure. There are UV-absorbing contact lenses on the market, but these do not filter as much of the damaging light and they only partially cover your eyes.
How To Choose a Good Pair of Sunglasses?
Look for these characteristics when looking at sunglasses:
- UV protection of 99 or 100 percent
- IR – infrared protection
- They should be close fitting to prevent rays from reaching you eyes
- Look for polarized lenses to help reduce glare.
- Don’t shop by price — higher priced sunglasses usually look nice but they don’t necessarily offer more protection
- Dark-colored sunglasses don’t necessarily provide better protection. It’s not the shade that counts, it’s the amount and quality of the chemical coating applied to the lens
Why Do Tanning Salons Require That I Use Tanning Eyewear?
Indoor tanning salon owners and operators are obligated to verify that every client using tanning equipment is also using federally compliant eyewear. It is their goal to educate customers about the fact that towels, scarves, or eyelids do not adequately protect eyes from ultraviolet exposure. In addition to state laws, Federal regulations (CFR 21 1040.20 (c)(4) require that tanners wear protective eyewear that block 99.9% of the UVB light and 99% of UVA. It is the operator’s responsibility that ALL tanning clients use federally compliant eyewear. Acceptable eyewear must state the product’s compliance with federal regulations on the package.
What Would Happen If I Didn’t Use Eyewear In The Tanning Bed/Booth?
When proper eyewear is not used during the tanning process, the potential for eye injury is greatly increased. Some eye injuries and disorders include Photokeratitis (Cornea Sunburn), Cataracts, Pterygium (Abnormal tissue growth) and Damage to the Cornea.
Do I Need to Protect My lips?
Lips have very little melanin (the pigment that helps protect against the sun). This makes lips very susceptible to sunburn.
Exposing your lips to the sun can also impact the collagen in your lips. People with cold sores have to be especially careful about sun exposure. Cold sore breakouts are easily triggered by too much sun.
This can be prevented by using an effective lip protection balm.
Protect your lips from the sun by using a good lip balm with a high SPF. The SPF number measures the effectiveness of the sunscreen protection. For example, if you apply a SPF 21 lip balm, your lips will take 21 times longer to burn than they would without the sunscreen. You should apply your lip care sunscreen at least one-half hour before going out and then make sure to reapply regularly during the day.
Protective lip balms should be use.d for outdoor exposure and also if you use a tanning booth or bed.
What Type of Clothing Should I Wear To Protect My Skin From Overexposure?
If you’re going to be out in the sun, wearing a wide brimmed hat will help shade your face, neck, ears, and eyes. Long-sleeved shirts and ankle-length pants will also offer some protection, but keep in mind that lightweight, light colored fabrics do not offer very much protection from the sun.
There are many different brands of sun protective clothing that are specifically designed to protect your skin from the sun. Sun protective clothing is different from regular clothing because the fabrics have a tighter weave. Sun protective clothing is rated on a UPF scale (Ultraviolet Protection Factor), which is different from SPF because it rates the protection the clothing provides against both UVA and UVB.
UPF measures how much radiation goes through the clothing and actually reaches the skin. Clothing with a UPF of 50 allows 1/50th of the UV radiation to pass through it. Clothing with a UPF of 20 allows 1/20th of the UV radiation to pass through it.
Sun protective clothing, just like regular clothing, can lose its effectiveness if it gets damp, wet, washed too many times, or stretched out. Some sun protective clothing is designed specifically to withstand water.
Do I Need To Protect Myself From The Sun When It’s Cloudy Outside?
Outdoor tanners are at the mercy of many uncontrollable elements. Here are a few things to consider if tanning outdoors:
Solar Elevation (height of the sun in the sky)
The intensity of outdoor ultraviolet light (the sun), and especially UVB, depends on the height of the sun in the sky. This will vary depending on the season of the year, the time of day, and the latitude at which you live. UV intensities are highest during the summer months in the 4-hour period around noon (or 13:00 if daylight saving is in effect).
UVB intensity varies more with the time of the day compared to the intensity of UVA. As a rule of thumb, “when your shadow is shorter than your own height” you may receive half or more of UVB during the 4 hours around solar noon on a clear summer day. In summer at noontime, UVB is two to three times more intense in equatorial areas than in northern Europe. At about 600 latitude the total UVB exposure during the months of January and February can be less than one clear day’s exposure around midsummer.
Latitude and Altitude
The UV intensity at the earth’s surface is related to the angle at which the UV rays pass through the atmosphere. In the tropics (close to 00 latitude, or near the equator) solar UV is more intense because it has less distance to travel through the atmosphere to the earth’s surface.
UV intensities increase with altitude. This is because the amount of atmosphere available to absorb UV is reduced, so more and shorter wavelength UV is able to reach higher altitude areas. At high altitudes, skiers can be exposed to higher intensities of UV, especially because snow is an excellent reflector.
Atmospheric Scattering
Solar UV is composed of direct and scattered radiation. The sky looks blue because the blue rays from sunlight are highly scattered by the atmosphere. UV is scattered even more than blue light; this can cause an increase in a person’s UV exposure.
Clouds and Haze
UV intensities are highest under cloudless skies. Clouds generally reduce UV intensity, but light or thin clouds have little effect and under certain conditions may even enhance the UV intensity. Hazy days generally have higher amounts of water vapor; UV in the atmosphere increases and can result in a higher personal UV exposure. Thus, even though haze or cloud cover can cause one to feel cooler, the UV exposure can still be high.
Ground reflection
The reflective properties of the ground have an influence on UV exposure. Most natural surfaces such as grass, soil and water reflect less than 10% of incident UV. However, fresh snow reflects 80% of UV. During spring in higher altitudes under clear skies, reflection from snow can increase UV exposure levels to those encountered during the summer. Sand also reflects (10-25%) and can significantly increase UV exposure at the beach.
Reflected UV is a key source of UV exposure to the eye. Acute effects, such as snow-blindness while skiing or photokeratitis at the beach, can result from UV reflected from snow or sand respectively.
