A RAY OF KNOWLEDGE

Everyone knows sun damage causes premature aging and cancer. The sun has two types of ultraviolet rays, so it’s important to use a sunscreen that has both UVA and UVB protection.

UVA rays are your “aging” rays. They penetrate the skin deeper and shrink the collagen and elastin of our skin. UVB rays are responsible for sunburns and are the main cause of skin cancer from sun-damaged skin. UVB also is responsible for the “suntan” we obtain by stimulating the melanocyte cell to produce the brown pigment, melanin. While tanned skin can be aesthetically appealing, you don’t have to spend hours in the sun to obtain bronzed skin. There are some great sunless tanners on the market today, and there are several tanning bed salons that offer spray tans.

Save Your Skin

• Purchase sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection.

• Make sure your sunscreen has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. SPF reflects the sun’s rays, keeping them from burning your skin.

• Make sure to apply an adequate amount of sunscreen all over your body without forgetting ears, feet and the back of your neck.

• Sunscreen quickly wears off, so be sure to reapply it every two hours.

• Do not rely on sunscreen alone. Also, consider using lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher and a hat with a wide brim.

Anderson Cancer Center