Sun - Best Friend or Enemy ?

It’s a hot and beautiful summer day, you are spending time with your friends in the park. Soon you notice your inflamed, painful and red skin. Sunburns are a pretty common thing, for someone they are even more ordinary than to others.

Sun, our light and hot star in the sky, usually makes us happier and more outgoing. After a cold and dark winter, the sun is exactly what we need. Be still aware of ultraviolet radiation which unfortunately is included for the sunshine. But what ultraviolet radiation actually is? Let’s take notice of that.

The human eye can not see ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet radiation is emitted by the sun but also, for example, tanning beds or some types of lasers. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation includes beneficial effects such as vital nutrients and vitamin D. However, it also has a lot of risks. Excessive UV radiation causes sunburn, premature aging and even skin cancer. There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. Of these UVA is the least dangerous while the UVC has the strongest radiation. However, all of these three cause problems to your body. There are studies, that UVA affects your eyes and is one of the reasons for cataracts while UVB is usually the reason for skin cancer.

How much and when you should protect yourself from the sun depends on the UV index. UV index tells the level of UV radiation. The higher the number, the bigger the risk it will be for the skin.

Basically, the UV index depends on where you are. It can be said that the equator has the highest number, and the northern part of Earth is lower. According to the studies of WeatherOnline, the UV index in Macedonia in June 2022 was usually 8-11 which means that you should avoid being outside during the midday and use sunscreen as much as possible. However, the danger of UV radiation depends a lot on the day and how cloudy it is (even though it’s a recommendation to put sunscreen on cloudy days as well). There are a lot of weather forecasts and different apps that tell you how strong the radiation will be. Using some app or checking the forecast is especially important for people who get sunburn very easily.

But how should you protect yourself? It’s actually quite easy and doesn't take too much effort. Sunscreen is one of the easiest and basically, the best ways to protect yourself. Sunscreen has the ability to protect your skin, but make sure that you choose a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB. In the summertime, it’s important to use sunscreen daily and pick products with an SPF of at least 30, even 50. This way you can ensure adequate protection. The studies show that choosing only the SPF level of 15 blocks only 93% of UVB rays while the percent of SPF 50 is 98%. Even a five percent difference has a great impact so think carefully next time when you are buying sunscreen. Also, there are recommendations that sunscreen should be added every two hours, especially after swimming.

Another way to protect yourself from the sun is by choosing protective clothes and hats but also being in the shadow as much as possible. Because of the possibility of damaging your eyes by being outside, using sunglasses with UV protection is important.

Tanned skin has been a fashion phenomenon for years. We should still consider how far we are willing to go to fulfill beauty ideals which can be dangerous to ourselves. However, everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the sunlight and summertime. If you get sunburnt, don’t panic immediately. That happens to everybody. Just make sure that you do your best and don’t underestimate the power of the sun!

Katariina Weijo

Sources:

MayoClinic - SunburnWorld Health Organization - Ultraviolet radiationWeatherOnline - MacedoniaKinesysActive - The difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50