The Sun And Skin Damage Essay, Research Paper

The Sun and Skin Damage Although the sun gives life to earth, and life to life itself, the sun s rays can wreak havoc on beautiful skin. As much as 90 percent of older-looking skin a result of continuous unprotected sun exposure.According to Paula Kurtzweil, the ozone layer a thin shield in the stratosphere that protects life from UV radiation is being depleted by certain chemicals used on Earth. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can destroy the skin of any person over time. People with light skin are more susceptible to sun damage; however, darker skinned people, including African Americans and Hispanic American, also can be affected.Too much sun exposure in a short period causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in sunburn. A sunburn causes skin redness, tenderness, pain, swelling, and blistering. Sunburn becomes a more serious problem with fever, chills, upset stomach, and confusion. To form a protective barrier against assaults from the sun, skin thickens. A tan develops as the skin reacts to absorption of ultraviolet radiation, causing an increase in the number of melanocyte cells epidermal cells that produce melanin, the dark brown pigment in the skin. The tan, then, is evidence that the skin is trying to protect itself from the sun, which your skin do only for a short time.The author also suggests seven steps to safer sunning: – Avoid the sun. – Use sunscreen products.

– Wear a hat.- Wear sunglasses.- Cover up.- Avoid artificial tanning.- Check skin regularly. Besides, in the article Minimizing skin damage from the dark side of the sun, Henrietta Spencer mentions more details of two types of radiation: UVA and UVB. Scientists now believe that both UVA and UVB can cause sunburn, damage the skin, and lead to skin cancer.Longer wave lengths, UVA rays, present potentially more serious dangers. Unlike UVB rays, identifiable by their intense light, UVA rays go undetected, but are lasting and intense from dawn to dusk. These rays penetrate clouds, making even dark days dangerous. UVA rays can also slip through glass, plastic, and many sunscreens. Especially, UVA rays can permeate water. Therefore, to protect our skin, we should apply waterproof sun product before swimming or other water activity. Finally, excessive sun exposure can cause a variety of adverse effects and result in skin cancer. Nevertheless, completely avoiding the sun, then, shades us from the sun s advantages. In some ways, sunlight (not sunbathing) actually does aid physical and mental health. Thus, with a few healthy precautions, we can enjoy moderate sunlight without excessive worry.

Kurtzweil, Paula. Seven Steps to Safer Sunning. FDA Consumer. June, 1996. v30 n5 p6(6) Spencer, Henrietta. Minimizing Skin Damage from the Dark Side of the Sun. Better Nutrition. April, 1997. v59 n4 p32