Protecting your skin should be number 1 on your list of health priorities. The skin is the body’s largest organ. It contains receptors that respond to pain, touch, and temperature. The skin is the body’s first line of defence against heat, cold, and trauma, as well as against toxins, chemicals, and pollutants. It makes the body waterproof and leak-proof. However, the skin has a potential enemy—the sun.
In addition to the benefits the sun has to the body, it also produces ultraviolet radiation, which can cause irreversible damage to the skin. One result is skin cancer. People who have had chronic or intense, intermittent exposure to the sun, those with fair skin, light hair and eyes, moles freckles, and a family history of the disease are especially at risk.
Educate Yourself About Safe Sun Habits.
Education about safe sun habits is necessary from childhood. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, most people receive about 80 per cent of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood is estimated to double the risk of melanoma later in life. This is because skin cancer can take 20 or more years to develop
Tips for Saving your Skin
- Limit sun exposure, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., the peak hours for harmful
ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This goes a long way in protecting your skin. - Examine your skin from head to toe at least once every three months.
- When outdoors, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher. Apply it liberally 30 minutes before sun exposure and every two hours thereafter. (Sunscreen should not be used on children under six months of age.)
- Teach your children good sun protection habits at an early age, for the damage that leads to adult skin cancers starts in childhood.5. Wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-
sleeved shirts, broad-brimmed hats, and UV-protective sunglasses.
For more secrets on getting smooth clear skin, click here. What are your regular skin-cleaning practices? Do you even remember to use sunscreen?
