Like every summer, people flock to beaches and pools, lie on their towels and spend hours in the sun to achieve the desired tan. However, on many occasions people are not aware of the damage that solar radiation can cause to the skin and they make a lot of mistakes when exposing themselves to sunlight, either due to ignorance or recklessness.
Sunbathing to get a tan
The main problem could be directly in the concept that we have of sunbathing: ” The term sunbathing in the sense of lying down with the sole purpose of tanning, is a social error that should be eradicated “, this is how forceful Luis Pastor is. , head of the Dermatology Unit of the Ruber International Hospital and deputy of the Dermatology Service of the Gómez Ulla Central Military Hospital. In his opinion, the act of tanning implies exposure to high-risk ultraviolet rays that will end in the appearance of skin cancer .
“Sunbathing in search of tanning is incorrect, since tanning is a defense mechanism of the skin against external aggression “, adds Agustín Buendía, coordinator of the Euromelanoma campaign and member of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ( AEDV ) . He also comments that there are people who never or hardly get a tan because they have very white skin, eyes and light hair, but they insist on tanning and inevitably burn.
Other common mistakes
Once the fundamental error is located, other oversights that are committed and aggravate the consequences, according to both specialists are:
- Sunbathing in the middle of the day.
- Do not use any type of photoprotection.
- Thinking that the sunscreen protects 100 percent.
- Spread the protective lotion sparingly and incompletely.
Consequences for the skin
Pastor explains that there are two types of risks that arise as a result of excess sun exposure without adequate protection:
Acute risk
The first degree sunburn , which manifests itself with erythema or redness, and the second degree sunburn , which involves the appearance of blisters. They are painful onset and cause long-term skin cancer , especially melanoma and basal cell carcinoma .
Chronic risk
It manifests itself after years, when cells cannot repair the damage produced in cellular DNA , generating damages that will end up leading to the aforementioned skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma , in this case. This second case also includes photo-aging in the form of wrinkles, blemishes, the appearance of old leather or warts.
How to properly harness sunlight
” For skin activation of vitamin D, 20 minutes a day is sufficient , and if possible in the early or late hours, before 11 or after 17 hours,” explains the head of the Dermatology Unit of the Ruber International Hospital. Also remember that sunscreens decrease UV damage, but don’t prevent vitamin D activation.
When applying sun cream, both advise to apply liberally and reapply regularly . Specifically, you must lie down 30 minutes before exposure, repeat every 3 hours and spread it in areas that are often forgotten such as the ears, the back of the feet, the eyelids and the scalp, especially in people with alopecia .
Special care for children and the elderly
” Children are especially sensitive to damage from sunlight , because the skin is very thin and rays pass through it more easily, so they should not be exposed before 2 years of age, ” says Pastor. On the other hand, ” the burns at this stage of life are determinants of skin cancer in adulthood , ” says Buendia. That is why it is important to take extreme precautions with them and to use sunscreens specially designed for the little ones.
Pastor explains that up to 20 years of age we expose ourselves 70 percent of the total sun exposure of our life , therefore, they are the years in which we must be more careful.
For the elderly, Buendía advises not to sunbathe excessively as it would increase or speed up the aging of their skin and can cause the malignant transformation of some moles and the appearance of precancerous and cancerous lesions . At this other point Pastor suggests:
- Exposing yourself first and last hour of the dayavoiding the central hours.
- Consult any changesof the lesions, spots and warts in case the change were the appearance of a cancer.
- Use sunscreen,like the rest of the population.
