Why is it important to wear sunscreen during the winter months?
According to CANSA, it only takes 15 minutes for skin burn to occur and the damage caused is permanent. In 2014, more than 20 000 South Africans were diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer, and more than 1500 were diagnosed with melanoma. Further, researchers are predicting that these figures will increase by 300% globally as a result of the thinning ozone layers.
A scary fact is that UVA rays are present at the same strength from dusk to dawn and even penetrate cloud cover. This means that skin damage is not just more likely to occur in the hotter months, but in the colder months too, and all year round.
UV radiation is dangerous for outdoor labourers, active people, children, and even those just driving to work. Rays can reflect off objects, and even people working from home near a glass window are vulnerable to UVA skin damage.
CANSA states, “Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and SA has one of the highest monitored ultraviolet (UV) levels in the world, resulting in one of the highest skin cancer rates globally.” So, we recommend you follow Dermalogica’s Education Manager, Victoria Schofield, advise and wear SPF daily, whatever the weather.
In this post, we’ll define the difference between UVA, UVB, and SPF, discuss the importance of wearing sunscreen and note some really easy ways you can prevent (further) skin damage.
What is UVA & UVB?
If you are like me, the terms UVA and UVB sound a little too technical. So, let’s try to break this down in an easy way. UV stands for Ultraviolet. Ultraviolet is defined as radiation exposure.
The most common UV light is UVB. These are the high-energy rays that penetrate and cause your skin to burn due to sun exposure.
UVA is the rays related to Aging. These rays are longer and have lower energy, so you may not necessarily experience a sunburn, but aging will occur as it penetrates the deeper dermis and causes damage to your structural collagen.
So, the main difference between UVA and UVB is the strength of their rays, which either leads to sunburn or signs of skin aging.
Why is sun protection Important?
Although the main difference between UVA and UVB is the strength of their rays, both still cause cellular and DNA damage that leads to the common symptoms of aged skin: lines, sagging, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and even skin cancers.
UVB is the main cause of non-melanoma skin cancers, whereas UVA suppresses your immune system, causes harmful free radicals to form in the skin, and increases the risk of developing melanoma.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, you can decrease your risk of skin cancers and skin pre-cancers by using SPF 15 sunscreen daily. You can reduce your chances of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by 40% and melanoma risks by 50%.
What does SPF mean?
SPF is defined as the Sun Protection Factor and the number acts as a sunburn meter that indicates the time it would take for the sun’s UVB rays to redden your skin. This means that if you properly use an SPF 30, it would take 30 times longer for you to burn than if you were not wearing sunscreen.
The general misconception comes in when we assume that the number indicates the time in minutes we can stay in the sun before needing to reapply SPF.
Interestingly, when using an SPF of 100, it is assumed that you can stay in the sun for twice as long as opposed to using an SFP 50, but this is incorrect. SPF 50 blocks out 98% of UVB rays whereas SPF100 blocks out 99%. So this means that SPF values between 30 and 50 provide adequate sunburn protection, even for people who are sensitive to the sun.
You would need to determine the correct SPF you would require to be properly protected.
How to Calculate Sun Protection (SPF)?
To be properly protected, use the following equation.
- Determine the time it would normally take you to burn without protection. Usually, 15 – 20 minutes of no sun protection will cause redness.
- Multiply this number by the SPF indicated on the product. Example: SPF 30 x 20 minutes = Sun time of 600 minutes.
- Take this value and divide it by 60 = 10 hours of sun protection without sunburn.
Taking the South African climate into consideration, you should still reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming or sweating.
Do not fall victim to becoming another melanoma stat. Protect yourself from the damaging and potentially life-threatening UVA and UVB rays by applying the correct SPF for the occasion.
We recommend that you use Heliocare’s Fernblock®️ daily as this pioneering scientific technology offers strong protection and repair mechanisms against UV radiation.
We stock a variety of Heliocare 360 and Heliocare Advanced products at Heidelberg Renewal Clinic. Contact us to order today. We have a FREE delivery service in the Heidelberg Gauteng area.
Listen to the classic song from Baz Luhrmann: Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen