Infrared protection mechanisms– how useful are they

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Infrared Protection Mechanisms– How Useful Are They? It’s common knowledge, at least for many people, that the sun emits UVB and UVA radiation which are both harmful to the skin and can cause aging and some types of cancers like skin cancer. With this danger, Inffred has rapidly gained fame as being amongst the highest risk for the skin. There is however a lot of debate about the methods of protection involving infrared. To begin with, a person is exposed to about 50 percent of infrared radiation each day while the exposure to UVB and UBA stands at about sever percent. The electromagnetic spectrum in addition to containing infrared light is also composed of radio waves, microwaves, visible light, UV rays, gamma rays and X-rays. Infrared light comes in two types; IRB or short wavelength infrared, and IRA or near infrared. The near infrared is capable of penetrating down the layers of the skin to the epidermis. On the other hand, the short wavelength will just penetrate through the epidermal layer. The near infrared therefore poses the greatest danger for the skin. Research has shown that IRA is responsible for skin cancer, premature skin aging and also inflammation. This, together with the fact that the sources of infrared apart from the sun are also multiple; high heat generating equipment, hair dryer, TV remote and others, makes the whole infrared situation worrisome. Luckily the human body is built to protect itself. In the event of exposure to IR, your body will use its antioxidants on contact with light, to neutralize the free radicles created. Protection Mechanisms against Inffred • Topical Protection – Mineral sunscreens, lotions and make ups containing titanium and zinc are the most widelyused ingredients in infrared protection. These work through reflecting the infrared light far from the face. It’s important that when purchasing these infrared topical protection creams you select one that encourages the compound to be oxidized before it hits the skin. • Use of diet – It is said that ingesting dietary antioxidants (foods that prevent oxidative stress/oxidation) will give protection against infrared and other types of solar radiation. These anti-oxidant foods are also termed phytochemicals because they are gotten from fruits. The said foods according to scientific research are those that provide polyphenols, like spices, coffee, dark chocolate and green tea, vitamin C foods such as berries, cirrus and cantaloupe, vitamin E foods such as seeds, nuts and germ and carotenoids like sweet potatoes. Conclusion The great thing about the danger of infrared is that there are many mechanisms for protection. According to the FDA, the most dangerous culprits are UVB and UVA. You are therefore advised to protect yourself from direct sunlight by wearing capes and hats, and also by applying sunscreen according to the given guidelines. To know more about Image Data Extraction & Image Search and Classification visit the website.


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