How to protect yourself from the sun. Instructions

Sun burns and tanning strongly increase the risk of developing skin cancer, including such aggressive as melanoma. Even due to the effects of the sun, premature aging of the skin occurs : it becomes less elastic, wrinkles appear. For example, in people with bright skin, spending a lot of time in the sun, this is already happening by the age of 40 . You need to defend yourself from the sun. Medusa, along with a dermatologist of the European Medical Center, Anastasia Ugryumova tells how to do this.

Select the sunscreen

The sunscreen is an important part of the prevention of skin cancer and its premature aging. To make the right choice, you need to pay attention to several factors:

SPF

This is a factor of sun protection. SPF 15 blocks 93% ultraviolet rays B, SPF 30 - 97%. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using funds with a defense of at least SPF 30, the World Health Organization , as well as the UK National Health Service, agree to 15. But more strong protection is definitely needed by people with fair skin, as well as those who are going to spend a lot of time on the street.

Wide spectrum protection

Since SPF only indicates protection against ultraviolet rays B (UVB), which primarily lead to burns, you need to make sure that the sunscreen does not pass the A (UVA) rays, which are more responsible for the aging of the skin. If something about a wide spectrum is written on the package-this is what you need.

Compound

For most people, this is not the most important point: the main components of sunscreen cope with their work more or less equally. There are organic filters (for example, Octinoxat, Avobenzone) - they turn ultraviolet rays into heat and do not allow them to penetrate the skin. Inorganic filters (zinc oxide, titanium oxide), according to some sources , reflect and dissipate ultraviolet rays, and absorb by others. Such substances are less likely to cause irritation. However, if the particles are large, then a white film will be on the skin. True, in modern creams, smaller particles are often used.

As for the negative reactions to these funds, the oxybenzone leads to contact dermatitis , although even with it the risk is very small .

For children, it is recommended to choose oils on an oil basis and with inorganic filters.

Vitamins as part of sunscreen can not be paid attention to.

Water resistance

Unfortunately, even if it is written on the package that the cream is waterproof, this does not mean that after bathing it will remain on the skin in the same volume - in reality you need to apply the product again.

View

Water -based creams cause less unpleasant sensations than oil -based creams.

Spray or cream is a personal choice of everyone, but the spray is more difficult to apply evenly. In addition, there is a risk of breathing in.

You can use cosmetics in the form of moisturizers and the tonal base with SPF. But there are several problems: most likely, there will be no protection against UVA; It is unlikely that it will be possible to apply all funds in an amount sufficient for good protection; It seems that the UVB protection can be worse than stated. Therefore, it is better to apply ordinary sunscreen, and only then tonal.

Apply the sunscreen correctly

Unfortunately, many fail at this stage.

When

To understand whether you need protection from the sun today, pay attention to the UV index. It can be found in weather applications . It is quite high even in cloudy weather and at relatively low temperatures, so it is better not to navigate the sensations. The sunscreen should be applied when UV index is three or higher . “It is clear that if you do not have increased the risk of developing skin cancer and with a UV index 3 you go to the metro without sunscreen, there will be nothing wrong,” says Anastasia Graryumova. “But there are people who have age spots from the first sun in February, and they definitely need to use sunscreen.” With a stably high UV index, you need to constantly use a strong tool. “You can’t use a remedy with a high SPF in the first days at the resort, and then reduce it, because“ the skin is used to it. ” No, she’s not used to it, ”Dr. Graryumova explains. “Often, people think that they will prepare for the rest, having previously moved in a solarium, but the solarium itself provokes the development of cancer of the skin.”

The sunscreen must be applied 15-30 minutes before leaving the house. It is necessary to update it every two hours, after a long bathing, if you sweat, as well as if you wiped yourself with a towel. If you forget about this all the time, then you can include a reminder on the phone or use new technologies, which, of course, will not protect you from a burn, but will help, sitting out that the situation is dangerous:

• The tracker of solar radiation in the form of a thin patch that changes color from the effects of the sun. If you open a special application and put the camera on a patch, you can understand that the sunscreen need to be updated;
• A bracelet that changes color when solar radiation is too strong.

How many

Many. Usually people apply 2-4 times less cream than they need. Moreover, even if the cream is only half as much, this will give a third of the necessary protection. You can calculate how much sunscreen you need, using this calculator .

There is no need to be afraid that from such zeal, vitamin D will not be produced in your skin and its deficiency will occur. In theory, this can happen, but in practice this does not happen . To develop enough vitamin D, you do not need a lot of ultraviolet radiation.

Where

To open areas of the skin. Typically, the sunscreen is forgotten to apply to the ear sinks, the back sides of the feet, neck, head (if it is bald or thin hair), lips (you can use lip balm with SPF).

How

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends spraying the spray in the palm of your hand, and then apply to the right places so as not to breathe it and so that it does not get to the mucous membranes.

If you have a makeup, then every two hours to apply a remedy with SPF on the face can be difficult. At least for relative protection, it is recommended to use other ways to protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation. You can also apply powder with SPF . Anastasia Ugryumova offers instead of makeup to use special sunscreen, which tint or matting a little - they can be applied to the layer to the layer.

Use other protective equipment

Sunsmanship, of course, are very important, but they are not able to provide protection against ultraviolet radiation alone. Moreover, some people do not want or cannot use them. For children under 6 months, it is recommended to avoid direct sunlight, and alternative methods are even more important here.

Shadow

Try not to be under direct sunlight, especially from 10 to 16 hours . And remember that uva-rays, those that mainly lead to early skin aging, penetrate the glass. There are sunscreens on the windows for those who spend a lot of time in the car or at the brightly lit window in the room.

Cloth

If possible, wear clothes with long sleeves, trousers and broad -brimmed hats. It is best protected by clothing from dense (check easily - look through it into light) not stretching fabric. According to some reports, dark colors are more suitable, and the idea that white-for the summer, arose, apparently, because of another . In many cases, the protection is lost if the clothing becomes wet. There is also clothes that are specially created to protect against ultraviolet rays. How well it works, you can find out using the UPF factor from ultraviolet radiation: 15–24 - good protection, 25–39 - very good, 40 and higher - excellent.

Glasses

Even if you wear contact lenses that protect from ultraviolet radiation, you still need sunglasses. Otherwise, the risk of developing malignant tumors in the area of ​​the eye increases . Even without protection against ultraviolet radiation with age, cataracts or degeneration of the yellow spot will rather occur . It is better that the lenses are wide and with a rim frame - then protection is more effective. But dark glasses are not always sunscreen, and you need to choose those that block ultraviolet rays (this, for example, can be indicated by the inscription UV 400). Moreover, the color of the lenses and the degree of dimming are not at all important: even very dark glasses can be completely useless in the issue of protection from the sun. By the way, photochromic glasses (which change color depending on lighting) can also be used, but you need to remember that they do not provide protection immediately.

If you are still burned, take anesthetic and smash a moisturizing cream

To relieve pain in a sunburn, any over -the -counter painkille -like aspirin, ibuprofen or inproxen is suitable (of course, if you have no contraindications). You can also periodically take a cool shower and use a moisturizer , but in no case do not smear the skin with oil, sour cream or other oily products.

If the blisters went and the pain is very strong, consult a doctor .

Follow the moles

Sun burns, especially in childhood, increase the risk of developing melanoma, which may appear many years after the burn. Other, less dangerous, varieties of skin cancer usually occur due to the accumulative effect, that is, without burns-just because the sun has been affecting the skin for a long time. At the same time, a tan appeared, but could not appear.

To find melanoma as early as possible, they came up with several “red flags”. In Russian they were combined into the rule under the name "Akord" :

A - asymmetric mole

K - edges of uneven

O - heterogeneous coloring

P is the size of more than 6 millimeters (larger diameter of the eraser on a pencil)

D - dynamics, that is, the mole is changing

A sign of other, more harmless forms of skin cancer-some kind of neoplasm (even colorless) or ulcer appeared on the skin, and this place itches, bleeds and does not heal for more than a month.

There are no reliable data that would say that regular visits to a dermatologist in people with an average risk help to identify skin cancer on time. Understand how high your risk is, you can, contacting a doctor. In any case, it is recommended to check your skin with the help of mirrors somewhere a month.

Daria Sargsyan