Why Use Sunscreen?

Use sunscreen not only to prevent skin cancer, but also as your anti-aging regimen

Sunscreen is our friend, not our enemy. Being bronze does not always mean more beautiful or even healthier for that matter. Taking care of yourself not only means brushing your teeth, working out and eating right, it should also include the daily use of sunscreen! Skin is the largest organ of the body and it should be treated as such. Our organs keep us alive; don't neglect the largest one out of pure vanity. 

First, let me express the importance of wearing a sunscreen on a daily basis. And that does include your face and your entire body! Clients ask me all the time, What is one thing I can do for my skin? In my professional opinion, the number one thing you can do for you skin is wear sunscreen, every single day. If you do nothing else, wear sunscreen. With a depleting Ozone layer, the sun is much more harmful and much more penetrating than it has been in years past and we are paying the price. Did you know that UV radiation from sun exposure is the number one cause for aging skin, brown spots, skin cancer, depletion of collagen, loss of elasticity or firmness in the skin and premature aging? I also recently read an article on MSNBC.com that melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer) is the most common cancer in women ages 25-29. I'm quite certain that this has something to do with American's obsession that bronze equals beautiful and tanning beds are so accessible. NEVER EVER GET IN A TANNING BED. If you care about what you look like, aging and LIVING, do not step foot in these deadly beds. You are literally paying people to fry your skin and potentially cause cancer in the future. I promise you, you look better being the color you are meant to be. Brown or Bronze does not equal more beautiful. 

I'm sure you have heard of the terms UVA/UVB protection. But do you truly understand what this means and what you are protecting yourself from? I think it is important to get a grasp onthese rays and why both are very detrimental to your overall skin health. Let's start off with UVB. UV stands for Ultra-Violet and that is divided into wavelengths A, B and C (later about C). The UVB ray has been touted as the burning ray and they are stronger in the summer than they are in the winter. That's why it's easier to get a tan in the summer. This ray only penetrates the top layer of your skin and to keep it simple, they cause the browning or tanning of the skin. They also cause hyperpigmentation (brown spots, age spots, liver spots) which is one of the major complaints I hear from clients on a daily basis. It's a huge concern as our population ages and we start to see the effects of UVB damage. Brown spots = unhealthy and aged skin. This is why it is so important to protect ourselves on a daily basis against these harmful rays.

UVA rays are always penetrating the skin at the same amount of intensity all year round. UVA rays penetrate through glass, clothing and hats. Basically, it's hard to get away from the UVA radiation. UVA rays are known as the "aging rays" and for good reason. While I sit here and type this, I'm sitting next to a window with the blinds pulled but UVA rays are still seeping through and penetrating the skin, which is why it's important to wear sunscreen indoors as well. And this is also why most people will have more sun-damage on their left side of the body and face than they do on the right here in America. As we are driving UVA rays are penetrating through the driver's door window onto our skin on the left sides of our body and face more so than on the right side. Over the years this takes a toll and we notice that more damaged has taken place on the left side. UVA rays penetrate very deep into the skin and cause damage to your collagen, elastin and skin cells. When collagen and elastin bonds break we lose the firmness in our skin and that is when we start to see things like sagging. Melanocytes (pigment producing cells) heat up and become active and we see MORE BROWN SPOTS or they melanocyte completely dies and we are left with a permanent white spot. UVA rays cause wrinkling, loss of firmness, enlarged pores, redness and inflammation and the list goes on and on. I can't stress enough the importance of protection from both UVA and UVB rays at all times. 

A quick word on UVC rays. Most of these never reach the Earth's surface but with the depletion of the Ozone layer research is looking at the possibility of some seeping through. Prolonged exposure to UVC rays are fatal and more and more research is being done to prevent this. 

As you can see it is imperative that sunscreen be worn on a daily basis, outdoor as well as indoors. When clients come in to see me they want to know why there are they seeing red spots, brown spots, fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, inflammation, etc. UV radiation is the main cause for all these conditions and it is a good reason to start a healthy skincare regimen which incorporates daily sunscreen usage. Please see my article on SPF and sunscreens to learn more about protecting you skin, and most importantly your health