Spending time on the beach and taking strolls in the park are wonderful activities, but they involve exposing yourself to the sun’s UV rays for long periods. Too much exposure to the sun can result in painful sunburns as well as more serious skin conditions, including skin cancer.
Luckily, there are ways to enjoy the sunshine safely. In addition to following sun protection tips, yearly checkups with a dermatologist can help reduce your risk of skin cancer and are vital for early detection. Schedule a consultation at Berman Skin Institute for expert care. Our board-certified dermatologists can perform a full-body skin exam and discuss ways to protect yourself from the sun.
What Is UV Radiation?
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of energy that the sun creates. While the sun is the only natural source of UV radiation, there are a few human-made sources, such as tanning beds. Unlike light, this energy is invisible to the human eye because it has shorter wavelengths.
Based on the size of the wavelength, UV radiation is classified into three types:
- UVA: UVA is the form of UV radiation that the Earth receives the most. These rays have the longest wavelength, which can penetrate the dermis — your skin’s middle layer.
- UVB: The ozone layer in our atmosphere only absorbs some UVB rays. They have the second-longest wavelength and can affect your skin’s outer layer, known as the epidermis.
- UVC: All UVC rays are absorbed into the atmosphere, which means you’ll never come into contact with this type of UV radiation. These rays have the shortest wavelength.
Although UV radiation is necessary as it provides your body with vitamin D, overexposure to UVA and UVB from the sun can damage your skin. Sunburn is an effect of short-term exposure, whereas skin cancer and premature aging result from prolonged overexposure.
How Much Sun Exposure Will Damage Your Skin?
While unprotected sun exposure harms the skin, it’s tricky to determine the exact amount of time it takes to cause damage. This is because it depends on a variety of factors, such as your skin tone, the time of day and where you are in the world. Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors:
- Location: The UV Index (UVI) is a measure of how strong the UVB is in a specific area. A high UVI means stronger radiation, which increases your chances of getting a sunburn. The sun’s strength depends on your geographical location — the UVI is higher in places closer to the equator, like Thailand and Florida.
- Time: The higher the sun is in the sky, the stronger the UVI will be. You’ll likely get burnt much quicker at a time when the sun is very strong, which is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in most places. The UVI also tends to be higher in the summer compared to the winter.
- Skin type: Your skin tone and other factors like whether or not you have freckles can influence how long you can stay in the sun before UV radiation becomes harmful. As a general rule of thumb, those with very fair skin are more susceptible to skin damage in just a few short minutes — but again, this can vary. All skin types need to practice daily sun protection habits.
One widespread belief is that a bronzed glow is equated with looking healthy. As a result, achieving a golden-brown hue is a popular beauty trend — but unfortunately, there is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan.
In fact, tanning is your body’s adaptive response to help protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. When exposed to these rays, your skin increases its production of melanin to shield itself from further harm — this is what causes your skin to change color. Like a sunburn, a tan is a sign of sun damage.
The Health Risks of UV Exposure
Skin cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer in the United States, with around 6.1 million adults receiving treatment for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) each year. UV radiation from the sun is the cause of over 90% of skin cancers.
Overexposure to UV radiation damages cells. Cells contain DNA, which dictates how cells form and function throughout the body. Excessive UV radiation affects the DNA in cells, causing them to misinterpret their intended function. This results in cells dividing and replicating at an accelerated rate, which can lead to the development of tumors — and these tumors can be cancerous. The harm caused to DNA also leads to signs of premature aging, like crow’s feet and wrinkles.
Over time, repeated sun exposure is linked to BCC and SCC skin cancers. Multiple severe sunburns causing blisters before the age of 18 can increase the likelihood of a melanoma diagnosis in adulthood. You should visit a dermatologist yearly for a full-body cancer screening, especially if you have spent a lot of time in the sun or had more sunburns than you’d like to admit.
Early detection and treatment can save lives. Your dermatologist will be able to identify whether a changing spot or mole is showing early signs of cancer. If this is the case, they may perform a skin biopsy and imaging tests to diagnose and assess the type of cancer:
- BCC: Basal cell carcinoma is the leading type of skin cancer among those who have been diagnosed. It usually grows very slowly and shows up as lesions, pimples or lumps, often on body parts that receive a lot of sunlight, like the face, arms and hands. Fortunately, BCC typically has a high survival rate, with electrosurgery and curettage treatments having a cure rate of almost 95% for small lesions.
- SCC: Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type. It poses a greater risk of spreading to the deeper tissues than BCC and can present as itchy and dry lumps that differ in color from the surrounding skin. While trained Mohs surgeons can remove SCC with Mohs surgery, which has a 99% cure rate, SCC can return after removal — making routine cancer screenings vital.
- Melanoma: While melanoma makes up only 1% of all skin cancer cases, it is the most life-threatening and highlights the importance of awareness and early detection. This cancer can appear as discolored or sore skin or a mole that changes appearance. It also spreads much quicker than BCC and SCC, affecting other organs in the body. Surgery can successfully remove early-stage melanoma with high survival rates — but like SCC, melanoma can recur.
How to Protect Yourself From the Sun
Prevention is always better than cure, and consistently practicing sun protection habits from a young age is the best defense against the risk of skin cancer.
If sun safety wasn’t a priority for you until you were older, don’t worry. Taking precautions today can help protect yourself from further damage and reduce your risk in the future. No matter your age, following these sun protection tips will give your skin a chance to heal, reduce the cumulative effects of UV radiation and help you safely enjoy time outdoors.
1. Use Sunscreen
You should use sunscreen daily to protect yourself from the sun’s rays, regardless of the weather or whether you plan to spend time outside. For daily use, choose one with an SPF rating of at least 15, although most dermatologists recommend 30 or higher. If you are going to be outdoors, whether working in the yard or taking a walk, you’ll need a water-resistant product with an SPF over 30.
SPF stands for sun protection factor, which refers to how long it would take for UV rays to burn your skin when using a specific sunscreen in contrast to being unprotected. For example, if you apply sunscreen with an SPF of 50 according to the correct usage instructions, your skin would take 50 times longer to burn than if you hadn’t used the product.
However, a higher SPF doesn’t always indicate that the sunscreen is effective. SPF only shields you from UVB rays, which typically cause a sunburn. It doesn’t offer protection against UVA rays, which may travel into the deeper layers of the skin. Ensure you are using broad-spectrum sunscreen, as these are formulated with ingredients that protect against all types of UV rays.
Even if you purchase an SPF 50+ broad-spectrum product, it will only be as effective as your application technique. Here’s how to apply sunscreen properly:
- Avoid missing a spot: In addition to using sunscreen on your face daily, apply it to your ears, neck, chest and hands. For outdoor activities, apply to any part of your body that will be exposed to the sun, such as your shoulders, back, legs and the tops of your feet. You should also use a protective lip balm.
- Apply the correct amount: To cover your face, neck and chest effectively, use around half a teaspoon of sunscreen. This is equivalent to two fingers’ worth of product. Squeeze the sunscreen from the tip to the base of your middle and index finger to measure the correct amount. For complete coverage of your face, neck, arms and legs, you’ll need roughly one ounce of sunscreen, which is enough to cover your whole palm when squeezed into your hand.
- Reapply often: You should apply sunscreen 20 minutes before sun exposure, then reapply every two hours or more if you’re sweating. Whenever you go swimming, you should reapply each time you get out of the water, even if your sunscreen is water-resistant.
- Purchase a new sunscreen: If you’ve had the same tube of sunblock for as long as you can remember, it’s time to get a new one. Sunscreens lose their potency after one or two years.
2. Limit Your Sun Exposure
One of the best ways to protect your skin from the sun without sunscreen is to limit your sun exposure. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. Instead, take regular breaks in the shade when enjoying time outside, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sunlight is most intense. Limiting your exposure can include crossing over to the more shaded part of the street, sitting under a beach umbrella or tree or sitting under a covered porch.
While the shade can offer relief from the heat, both UVB and UVA can still reach your skin even in the shade. The sun’s rays can make their way through branches and leaves or reflect off surfaces like sand, glass, concrete, water and even snow. As a result, it’s always best to use sunscreen, even when you’re in the shade.
3. Wear Protective Clothing
Clothing such as long pants, long skirts and long-sleeved shirts can offer great protection from UV rays. This protection is long-lasting and doesn’t diminish over time, like sunscreen. Tightly woven materials provide the most effective barrier, and darker colors shield you from the sun better than light colors.
That said, wearing full-coverage clothing in a dark and dense fabric isn’t always practical, especially on a hot summer’s day. In this case, try to cover yourself as much as reasonably possible. You can opt for a beach cover-up or a loose, long-sleeved T-shirt instead.
Many fabrics provide both breathability and advanced protection. To determine how protective an item of clothing is, look for UPF on the label. This stands for ultraviolet protection factor, and the number shows the percentage of UV radiation that can pass through the fabric. For example, a T-shirt with a UPF of 50 only allows 2% (1/50th) of UV rays to penetrate through to your skin. This UPF significantly reduces your exposure risk, since the fabric blocks 98% of the sun’s rays.
4. Remember to Accessorize
The more you cover, the better, so accessories like a hat and sunglasses are essential.
A wide-brim hat that goes all the way around offers the most protection, shading your ears, eyes, face and entire neck. Densely woven fabrics like denim, canvas or synthetic hats are best, whereas straw hats with holes are not ideal. If you’re wearing a baseball cap, remember to shield your ears and the back of your neck. You can do this by covering these areas with clothing, investing in a neck flap for your hat, applying broad-spectrum sunscreen or relaxing in the shade.
Sunglasses provide protection for your eyes as well as the delicate surrounding skin, and they can even lower your risk of cataracts. Ensure you choose sunglasses with UV400 protection, which block almost 100% of UVA and UVB radiation. Here are some more factors to consider when picking out sunglasses:
- Be cautious of dark sunglasses: While darker sunglasses may help you see in very bright settings, they don’t necessarily protect you from dangerous rays. In fact, darker sunglasses can cause your pupils to dilate to let more light into your eyes, potentially increasing your risk for cataracts. If you select a style with very dark lenses, it’s even more critical to ensure that they offer UV400 protection.
- Opt for wrap-around ones: These styles are excellent as they prevent the sun’s rays from entering from the side.
- Double-check polarized options: Polarization and UV light absorption are not related. If your sunglasses are polarized, make sure they also have UV-blocking features, ideally UV400.
Schedule a Skin Exam at Berman Skin Institute
It’s never too late to make protecting yourself from the sun a daily habit. While skin cancer is one of the most prevalent types, it is fortunately the most preventable — sun protection benefits everyone, no matter your age. Remember that when caught early, many skin cancers are curable, so it’s important to see a dermatologist once a year.
Berman Skin Institute is committed to providing personalized care and a wide range of treatment options. From signs of premature aging to more significant concerns, we’re here to help. We offer several locations across Northern California for your convenience.
Schedule a consultation with our dermatologists today!
