With various types of information available out there, it is only natural for you to get confused about whether or not to expose your skin to the sun. Well there are both pros and cons to regular exposure to the sun.

1. Protect Your Skin From Sun
With various types of information
available out there, it is only natural
for you to get confused about whether
or not to expose your skin to the sun.
Well there are both pros and cons to
regular exposure to the sun.
On one hand, the sun rays are vital for
our daily well-being. They are helpful
in the formation of Vit D that’s
essential for calcium metabolism in the body. This backed by a mention in our ancient texts
about daily sun exposure to boost our energy levels, giving a general feeling of well-being.
Sun rays are of three wavelengths: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C depending on the wavelength
across the spectrum. UV-A and UV-B are the ones that damage the skin the most and
should be protected from.
On the other hand, it is advisable to protect your skin from sun as exposure to sun rays for
prolonged period of time can damage the skin. The face, neck and hands are the sites that
are most damaged, for obvious reasons. Chronic sun exposure can cause early wrinkling,
tanning of the skin, and a general premature ageing of the skin. The commonest complaint
for holiday goers is acute sun burn. Because of these side effects, skin protection prior to
sun exposure should be a daily regimen for one and all.
The various ways you can protect your skin from sun are:
A. Staying indoors during period of peak UV rays exposure.
B. Adhere to simple measures such as use of an umbrella, wide brim hats or caps, and
wearing protecting covering example dupattas for women.
C. Application of Sunscreen. Sunscreens are agents that form a screen or protective layer
between the sun rays and the skin thereby preventing skin damage. The protection
provided by a sunscreen is measured by its SPF (Sun Protection Factor) which is a ratio of
minimal redness of the skin caused by UV-B light with sunscreen applied to without
sunscreen. Sunscreens should be applied 15-20 minutes prior to stepping out in the sun.
Repeat application should be done 4-6 hours after the first application. Sunscreen should

2. be adequately applied over the face, neck and other sun exposed areas. For our Indian skin
type, SPF 15+ is adequate. The best result of photoprotection is obtained if sunscreens are
accompanied with other photoprotection measures such as use of umbrella, wide screen
hats or caps, etc.
Article Source http://www.skinclinicbangalore.com/post/protect-your-skin-from-sun/903
Published at Dr. Kisalay Saurav’s blog