The Sun: Man's Friend & Foe - Prevention of Tanning

It is now a medically accepted fact that a tan is not healthy. It is necessary that proper prevention methods be adopted to safeguard your skin. While this can be done in many ways the most popular are:

Sunblockers
Sunscreens

Glacier Sunburn -
Light and heat rays reflected from ice, and snow can also irritate and rapidly burn the skin.

Sunblockers are opaque pastes that reflect the UV rays and do not let them affect the skin. The most common ones include titanium oxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, kaolin or talc. These are very effective and spread very easily over the skin. However the main problems with them are that they are very messy and sticky, and are impractical for covering large areas. Some of these can sting or irritate the skin and may cause pimples. But nevertheless they are the best for small areas of the skin.

Sunscreens are chemical formulations that are applied to the skin in the form of creams or pastes. They filter out the the UV rays before they hit the skin. They actually behave like melanin. Most of these are water resistant and filter both forms of UV rays. As a result they are the most popular form of skin protection. They must also be used with caution on small children because it is dangerous if they get the lotion into their eyes.

It is very important that a proper sunscreen is chosen that gives adequate protection to you. The amount of protection a Sun screen gives is measured in its SPF or skin protection factor. It is best to chose a SPF of at least 15. However if you are fair skinned or will be spending long hours out in the Sun then it is better to chose a higher SPF. You should apply the Sun screen about 45 minutes before you go out into the Sun to enable it to be properly absorbed.

It is suggested that every person who spends time in the Sun should adopt some form of protection. This will pay off in the long run.