The document discusses the allure and risks of seeking a bronzed tan, particularly among young, active individuals who may neglect sun protection. It highlights the dangers of UVA and UVB rays, including sunburn and increased skin cancer risk, while advising on preventive measures such as wearing protective clothing, using sunscreen, and avoiding peak sun hours. Additionally, it contrasts harmful tanning salons with safer alternatives like self-tanning lotions, emphasizing the importance of awareness and precaution to prevent long-term skin damage.

1. Perfect Tan Not

2. A glossy gold brown tan to set off toned limbs - which is the stuff which the young fashion-conscious
dreams are made from. The interest of the bronzed, sun kissed look has led to an inflow of sun
worshippers in bikinis, board shorts, and naked torsos congregating at the shores. But only how
much do they learn more about the risks related to excessive sun exposure?
Plenty of youths are adventuresome, fun loving and are enthusiastic about sports. This may merely
lead them to overlook the necessity of appropriate sun protection. While many outdoor sports like
soccer, wakeboarding, windsurfing etc are certainly advantageous to health, the risks of excessive
sun exposure to the participants will also be very actual.
Sunlight Damage
Only UVA and UVB rays get to the earth's surface because UVC is filtered out by the ozone layer.
UVA penetrates deeply into the skin and activates the production of melanin, which is a pigment in
our body that causes skin to tan. UVB mainly impacts the skin's outer layer and causes sunburn.
Sunburn is just one of the short term damages of sunlight exposure. It ranges from redness and pain
to redness and swelling, and in some serious cases, blisters can occur.
Frequent sunburns are connected to increased risks of having skin cancers.
Most SCC and BCC instances are due to long-term exposure to sunlight. These tumours appear most
commonly on sun-exposed areas like the face, hands, back, shoulders and lower lip. SCC tumours
are unusual and fleshy growths that can enlarge and break down into ulcers.
BCC tumours tend to be glossy and pigmented, with raised edges. The Skin Cancer Foundation
(SCF) in New York, USA, estimates that some 800,000 and 200,000 Americans suffer from BCC and
SCC per annum respectively.
It may form in pre existing moles, where pigmentation is greatly concentrated. The tumours are
presented as large, thick and coloured (red, blue or black) spots that grow quickly, with irregular
outlines.
On a less lethal note, exposure to bright light may also trigger migraines and headaches, for up to 24
hours. Melasma is another UV-related skin disorder characterized by symmetrical brownish
pigmentation spots in UV-exposed regions and affects girls 90% of the time.
Block Out the Sun
Much as knowledge of sun exposure dangers is important, knowing just how to minimize threats is a
lot more crucial. Methods to minimize damage from sun rays can be split into those to do with
behaviour and those to do with materials.
Conduct wise, sun-lovers can refrain from carrying out high risk activities between 10am and 4pm,
when the sun's rays would be the strongest. On a general note, make an effort to maintain in the
shade while going about normal actions.
Fabrics which are sun-protective have tight weaves and are dark-coloured. To test for a tight weave,
hold the garment about 7 inches out of your eyes towards a light source. If visible light can
penetrate holes between the threads, so can UV beams. Dark colors absorb harmful UV rays better

3. than light-colored clothing and consequently protect skin better.
To protect the face, sunblock is essential, preferably one with at least Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
20. Reliable brands contain Sunkiller, La Roche-Posay and Coppertone. If sun exposure time is
expected to be long, then a sunscreen of higher SPF of 45 or 60 is advocated. One often-ignored
directive would be to reapply sunscreen frequently throughout the day, as sweat or friction might
have washed it away. For the eyes, shades with UV-protective coating are proposed.
Alternate Tones
Fashion-conscious youths who covet a suntan but are afraid of increasing their skin cancer risks
have begun to regular tanning salons. This misguided attempt only reduces the prevalence of
sunburn rather than skin cancer, warns Dr Wong, an associate consultant dermatologist together
with the National Skin Centre of Singapore.
"In fact, by going to tanning salons, you're exposed to unnecessary excessive UVA, that might raise
your risk of getting skin cancer as it is mostly UVA-mediated."
One relatively harmless choice to sun tanning is really to utilize self-tanning lotions. These contain
dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts with proteins in dead skin cells on the skin surface to result
in brown pigmentation, which becomes the suntan. While self-tanning lotions, like other external
products, have been known to cause skin irritation, no undesirable long term effects are recorded.
As we welcome the warm, bright weather, do keep in your mind the related dangers and
precautions. Being cautious when young may just save you a lot of heartache and pain in later years.