Effect Of Sun On Skin

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• QWhy is it important to take steps to prevent skin cancer during the summer?

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  A Mercy Health answered

  It is important to take steps to prevent skin cancer during the summer because ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer and can also cause damage to the eyes. So while enjoying the great outdoors, it's important for people to be aware of how much sunlight they get. With the beautiful weather and days spent outdoors at the park, the beach and the golf course, people's skin may be getting more sun exposure in summer than at other times of the year. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States.

  Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.

• QHow does the sun affect the skin?

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  A Dr. Ellen S. Marmur, MD , Dermatology, answered

  The sun has an extraordinary direct impact on the skin. But in a nutshell, imagine the sun's rays as being like a laser gun, disintegrating your collagen and destroying your cells' DNA. It's almost that simple. The sun can be blamed for over one million new cancers each year, affecting approximately one in seventy people. One in every five people will develop skin cancer during his or her lifetime. How does this wonderful-feeling, beautiful sunshine wreak such havoc? The short UVB wavelengths hit the epidermis and cause sunburns, the obvious immediate sign of sun damage. The longer UVA rays penetrate further into the dermis, causing not only a suntan (a sign of trauma) but premature aging (those rays dissolve collagen and elastin) and skin cancers. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that more than 90 percent of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure. The National Cancer Institute adds that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than one million skin cancers diagnosed annually.
  
  Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

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• QWhat is ultraviolet (UV) light?

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  A National Alliance for Hispanic Health answered

  The main source of light given off by the sun is ultraviolet (UV) light, also called ultraviolet rays or radiation. There are two types of ultraviolet rays:

  • UVA rays make it hard for your body to fight infections and cancer. UVA rays can also pass through windows and change the deeper layers of the skin. This can cause spots on your skin, premature aging and wrinkles.
  • UVB rays are the main source of sunburns. Sunburns will increase your risk of developing skin cancer.

  Ultraviolet light from any source is dangerous. All sources of artificial sunlight or ultraviolet light, including tanning beds and salons, should be avoided. Ultraviolet light is sometimes used for medical purposes but should be done under the supervision of your healthcare provider.
• QHow does sun exposure damage skin?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Sunlight consists of two main types of ultraviolet (UV) rays that damage skin -- UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are the main cause of sunburn and skin cancer. This type of sunlight intensifies during the summer and can do more damage more quickly than UVA rays. The epidermis absorbs most of the intensity of UVB rays. UVB rays cannot pass through glass, although UVA rays can. UVC rays, another spectrum in sunlight, are also potentially harmful, but the ozone layer blocks them from reaching the earth. UVA and UVB rays are present all year and are hazardous whether they are direct or reflected.
  
  When the sun's ultraviolet radiation reaches the surface of the skin, the skin reacts by producing melanin -- otherwise known as a tan -- to protect itself. UVA rays are milder than UVB rays, but because their wavelengths are longer, they penetrate deeper through the skin's layers. UVA rays contribute to wrinkling the skin, as well as to the development of skin cancer.
  
  UVA rays  are used in tanning booths. UVA rays in tanning booths not only inflict damage similar to sunlight, they are also more intense in a tanning booth than the equivalent time spent in natural sunlight.
• QCan any medications increase sun damage to skin?

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  A Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson , Internal Medicine, answered

  If you're taking certain medications, sun exposure can cause additional damage to your skin. It's important to check the labels of any of the medications you're taking to see if they cause photosensitivity. Those most commonly used include the antibiotic doxycycline, hydrochlorothiazide diuretics, and antiarrhythmics, such as amiodarone.

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• QHow does sun exposure affect aging?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Too much sun ages us because exposure to ultraviolet light destroys elastin and promotes wrinkles. It also damages the chromosomes in your skin cells. Chromosomes are the strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contained in each cell in your body. If you look through a microscope at sun-damaged skin cells, you can see actual breaks in the chromosomes where they have been damaged by solar radiation. This chromosomal damage can lead to cancers. Amazingly, the sun can even damage the chromosomes in cells not directly exposed to sunlight.
  Researchers are learning more and more about the risks and benefits of sun exposure. In this video, Michael Roizen, MD, chief wellness officer for the Cleveland Clinic, discusses how sun exposure can affect how quickly you age, and your risk of cancer.

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• QHow is UV radiation harmful to our skin?

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  A Dr. Susan Evans , Dermatology, answered

  UV radiation comes from the sun and from tanning beds. UV radiation damages our skin and adversely affects our immune system. One blistering sunburn increases your risk of developing melanoma, which is a very dangerous and lethal skin cancer. You are also 2.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma.
• QWhat sun allergies exist?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) is the most common allergic reaction to the sun. It results in a rash that usually consists of clusters of red or pink raised spots that can burn and itch for days. Others might experience solar urticaria. This allergy can result in large, painful hives.

  Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing to safeguard your skin from the sun's harmful rays.

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• QWhy is sunblock important in extremely hot weather?

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  A Dr. Jenice M. Forde-Baker, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered on behalf of Lourdes Health System

  Sunblock is important in extremely hot weather because the first layer of protection on the body is the skin, and a person can easily get first-degree sunburns, but then second- and third-degree burns out in the heat.
  
  So, something people have to remember if they're going to be active and outside in the sun in extreme weather is to make sure that they're using sunblock to protect their skin. A red burn on the skin is a first-degree burn. Once the skin starts to blister, that's already a second-degree burn and that is going to decrease the skin's ability to protect the body and fight infection.
  
  Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider.
• QAre all chemical UVA blockers the same?

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  A Dr. Ellen S. Marmur, MD , Dermatology, answered

  It's important to realize that chemical UVA blockers are not created equal. Though physical, mineral blockers literally shield skin from both short and long UVA wavelengths, most chemical alternatives aren't able to protect from the entire UVA spectrum. Most protect from the shortwave UVA range. Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) is the only chemical UVA block that prevents long-wave UVA rays from penetrating. But avobenzone is not photostable, so it requires a photostabilizer (such as the new Helioplex) to prevent it from degrading quickly (usually in less than two hours) in sunlight.
  The differences among all these polysyllabic active ingredients are confounding but important to comprehend. Some are more protective than others, some absorb only a certain length of UVA ray, and many chemical sunscreens absorb only UVB radiation.
  
  
  Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

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