Keep Your Skin Safe from Harmful UV Rays
Think again if you feel a summer tan gives skin nothing but a healthy glow. Skin that’s darkened from the sun’s rays or a tanning bed is damaged at the cellular level. That’s just as true for black and brown skin as it is for white skin. Prolonged exposure to the sun causes wrinkles, premature aging, and skin cancer.
July is UV Safety Awareness Month
The sun exudes ultraviolet (UV) rays all year long, but we focus on UV Safety in July because it’s the height of summer – when people are more likely to be exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays. In addition, July’s days are long, which increases the exposure time to UV rays.
What are UV rays?
Ultraviolet rays are a form of radiation, invisible to the human eye but damaging to our skin. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays are the two that penetrate the skin and damage skin cells. UVC rays are the most potent but don’t pose a threat because the ozone layer prevents them from reaching the earth’s surface. However, sunlamps do emit UVC rays.
How can you keep safe from UV rays’ harmful effects?
- Limit your time in the sun between 10:00 am and 4:00 p.m. when UV rays are highest.
- Know that UV rays are still present even if the sun hides behind a wall of clouds.
- Always apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher when you’re out in the sun.
- Avoid tanning beds entirely.
What else you need to know about UV rays
- The damage is cumulative. One bad sunburn as a kid puts you at a higher risk for developing skin cancer later in life. Send your children to games, summer camps, or playdates with plenty of sunscreens.
- Remember to protect the skin on your feet. People typically don’t forget to put sunscreen on their arms and legs. They go to great lengths to get someone to put sunscreen on their back. But these same people often forget to apply lotion to their feet, even though feet have skin that’s just as vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV rays.
For more information about skin cancer and your feet, or if your feet need medical attention, call Fairfax County’s Clifton Foot & Ankle Center in Centreville, Virginia, at (703) 996-3000. Or, click here to make an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm.
