How the Sun Affects Your Skin

The summer season is here and there are plenty of sunny days ahead! While you are enjoying the warm weather, it is important to be mindful of how the sun can affect your skin. Check out our list of how the sun can affect your skin.

Genetics

Your genetics have a deciding role in your skin pigment color, which determines how sunlight affects your skin.¹ People who have light skin tones have a greater chance of developing skin damage from the sun. Those with darker skin contain a higher concentration of the pigment called melanin, which lowers risk of experiencing negative effects from the sun.

Some of the possible skin damages conditions you could contract from long exposure to the sun are sunburn, freckles, sunspots, wrinkles, and skin cancer.²

Change in Appearance

Exposure to the sun can cause a change in the appearance of the skin known as photoaging. Examples of photoaging are blotchiness to the skin, wrinkles, rough skin, spider veins, and less elastic skin.

People can start to experience the effects of photoaging in their teens or early twenties. The causes of photoaging are:

UVA Light: The UVA light from the sun damages all layers of the skin, which can affect the collagen and result in the skin being less elastic.
UVC Light: UVC light has little to no effect on the skin because the UVC light does not shine past the ozone layer.
UVB Light: The UVB light negatively affects the epidermis or outer layer of the skin. It causes photoaging and possibly precancerous cells.³

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer occurs when your skin mutates in the outer layer of your skin. The mutations cause the skin cells to multiply, which causes tumors. The main causes of skin cancer are the UV rays from the sun and tanning beds.

Skin cancer looks different for each person. Skin tone, type of skin cancer, and the location of the skin cancer determine what the skin cancer looks like. If skin cancer is found early, there is a high probability that doctors can treat the cancer completely.⁴

Vitamin D

Not all effects from the sun are negative. When the sun’s UVB rays come into contact with the skin, it creates vitamin D.⁵ Vitamin D is essential to having a healthy body. For example, vitamin D:

Helps prevent type 2 diabetes
Supports healthy bones and teeth
Promotes a healthy nervous and musculoskeletal systems
Balances the calcium in the blood⁶

How You Can Protect Your Skin

While the sun’s rays do help your skin create vitamin D, it is still important to be mindful of the negative effects the sun can have on your skin. Here are some ways you can protect your skin from the sun’s UVB rays:

Wear sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30
Apply sunscreen every two hours⁷
Apply a lip balm with a SPF of 15 or greater⁸
Limit sun exposure
Avoid the sun during high UV radiation hours (10 am to 4 pm)⁹
Stay in the shade when possible
Wear a hat
Keep yourself hydrated
Wear a covering over your bathing suit

Saber Healthcare

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Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long-term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

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