Skin
Care Articles 
Skin
Cancer & Sun Damaged Skin
- 03/02/07
What
is a Sunscreen Agent?
Sunscreen
agents are used to help protect your
skin from sunburn; it is also a good
idea to limit your time in the sun.
Combining the two may help to prevent
early skin wrinkling and skin cancer.
There are two types of sunscreen agents,
chemical and physical.
Why
is sunscreen used?
Chemical sunscreen agents protect
you from the sun by absorbing the
ultraviolet (UV) and visible sun rays,
while physical agents reflect, scatter,
absorb, or block these rays.
Sunscreens
often combine a number of agents to
help protect your skin.The sun protection
factor (SPF) that you find on the
label of these products tells you
the minimum amount of UVB sunlight
that is needed with that product to
produce redness on sunscreen-protected
skin as compared with unprotected
skin. Sunscreen products with high
SPFs will provide more protection
against the sun.
An SPF of at least 30 should be applied
to the most fair-skinned individuals
(Fitzpatrick skin types I-III) and
reapplied after 4-6 hours. There is
no such thing as a completely "waterproof"
sunscreen, so reapplication is important.
Despite
these recommendations, studies still
show that only 43% of children use
sunscreens, and even when sunscreen
is applied most children and parents
do not apply an appropriate quantity
regularly. These findings suggest
that adults, including parents, probably
do not apply regularly or thickly
enough either.
The
sun is responsible for most of what
makes us look aged. It causes deep
wrinkles, dry skin & discoloration.
It is very important that we protect
our skin from the UV rays.
Often people feel that because today
is cloudy we need not bother. Wrong
a sun screen should be used even if
the sun is not shining; the sun rays
are just as harmful on a cloudy day.
Should sunscreen be used you have
dark skin?
Yes, even people who have dark skin
must protect their skin from the sun.
The Environmental Protection Agency,
everyone without regard to race or
ethnicity is subject adverse effects
of exposure from the sun. Everyone
should take precaution and use sun
screen not only to prevent wrinkles
but other adverse effects.
It
is best to stay out of the sun during
the hottest hours of the day. This
can vary depending on location. If
you need to be in the sun wear long
sleeves, slacks instead of shorts
& use an umbrella, or wear a hat
to protect the head. Sun glasses are
also recommended to protect the eyes
from the sun and prevent crow’s
feet from squinting.
Skin
Care Articles
Skin
Cancer & Sun Damaged Skin
- 03/02/07
More
to come on Sunscreen Agents...
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