We Give You The Details Of Sun Safety: Save Your Skin – Part 2

The Continued Discussion

Here are other tips and tricks in finding safety while in the sun. Read on 

Then Don't Forget the Eyes

Increasing your risk of developing eye problems such as cataracts and eye cancer is the sunlight reflecting off snow, sand, concrete, or water that further increases the exposure to UV radiation. You can protect your eyes with the right sunglasses such as polarised or blue blockers. 

Resulting in a short-term condition known as photokeratitis or reversible sunburn of the cornea are long hours on the beach or in the snow without adequate eye protection. Causing temporary loss of vision is this painful condition also known as snow blindness. 

Look for a label that specifically offers 99%-100% UV protection when buying sunglasses. Blocking both forms of UV radiation are these glasses. 

Labeled as sunglasses should be the eyewear. Providing little or no protection from UV or visible light is the dark or tinted eyewear sold as fashion accessories and so be wary of them. 

With pricier sunglasses or glasses with a darker tint, don’t assume that you get more UV protection. 

To be sure that sunglasses don’t distort colours affecting the recognition of traffic signals, be careful. 

If you are not sure of their level of UV protection, ask an eye care professional to test your sunglasses. 

You should still wear sunglasses when you wear contact lenses that offer UV protection. 

From the sides of sunglasses, consider that light can still enter. Those sunglasses can help when they wrap all the way around the temples.

Indicating the UV protection level, children should wear real sunglasses and not toy sunglasses. Most shatter-resistant are the polycarbonate lenses.  

The Sunlamp Products

In many states, banned for use in minors without parental permission are the sunlamp products not recommended by dermatologists. 

Similar to or more powerful than that emitted by the sun, sunlamps emit UV. Leading to skin cancer is therefore the exposure to sunlamp products. As the intensity of light and the time spent tanning are controlled, some experts argue that artificial tanning is less dangerous. 

To support these claims, there is limited evidence. As they can be used at the same intensity every day of the year which is something unlikely for the sun because of winter weather and cloud cover, whereas it is possible that sunlamps may be more dangerous than exposure to the sun. Something that is difficult to do outdoors, they can also be more dangerous because people can expose their entire bodies at each session. 

To develop an exposure schedule and establish a minimum recommended exposure time based on the UV emission characteristics of their products, the FDA requires manufacturers of sunlamps. 

It is important to wear proper protective eyewear while tanning indoors, as UV and the intense visible light emitted from sunlamp products can also damage the eyes. 

Here Are The Tips For Tanning Indoors

Follow these steps to reduce the dangers of UV exposure if you use indoor tanning equipment:

While wearing the goggles provided make sure they fit snugly as also it is not cracked. 
To build up a tan over time start slowly and use short exposure times. 

Sunburns lead to an increased risk for developing melanoma, so don’t use the maximum exposure time the first time you tan because you could get burned. 

You may not realise your skin is burned until its too late as the sunburn takes at least six hours to develop. 

For your skin type, follow the manufacturer-recommended exposure times on the label. 

It helps to stick to your time limit. 

Tan no more than once a week after a tan is developed. 

Skin cancer that can be deadly, it is better to know that even one tanning bed session before the age of 35 doubles your risk for developing melanoma. 

Those So-Called "Tanning Pills"

There are no tanning pills of any kind approved by the FDA. 

There are however many companies marketing products called tanning pills. 

A colour additive is known as canthaxanthin which when ingested turns the skin a range of colours from orange to brown is contained in some of these pills. Approved for use as a colour additive in foods and oral medications, as well as only in small amounts is the canthaxanthin. 

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)

A colour additive that interacts with the dead surface cells in the outermost layer of the skin to darken skin colour, some tanning sprays contain DHA. These are therefore used commonly in sunless tanning lotions, creams, and spray-on products. 

It is limited to external application whereas DHA is approved by the FDA for use in colouring the skin. For other uses such as applying it to your lips, or the area of your eyes or inhaling it, the industry has not provided safety data to the FDA to consider approving it. Therefore, unknown are the risks if any. Take precautions to protect your eyes and lips and avoid inhaling the spray as the FDA recommends that in case you visit a spray tanning salon. 

There are products in the market that do not contain sunscreen. Requiring these products to carry a warning statement is the FDA.  

Finally, It Helps To Check For Skin Cancer

For signs of skin cancer, check the skin regularly. It helps when you investigate changes in the size, shape, colour, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. See your doctor in case you find any changes or find sores that are not healing.