Here comes the sun-protect yourself

Prevent long and short-term sun damage with sunscreen

By: Eugenia Jefferson/ Staff reporter

Posted: 4/28/05

As summer approaches, the weather is getting warmer. As the weather heats up, there are more people outside doing outdoor activities, including tanning on the Quad. However, being over-exposed to the sun without proper protection can cause skin damage.

Sunscreen can block harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun. The best protection is using a sunscreen that has SPF (Sun protection factor). According to coolnurse.com, wearing sunscreen with SPF of at least 15 every day, even on cloudy days or when spending little time in the sun can prevent harm to the skin. Pale-skinned people should use a high SPF or total sun block lotion.

Knowing one's own skin type will help when deciding to buy a sunscreen lotion.

"It is going to vary with the type of skin they have," said Nita Shrader, administer nurse at Health Services.

People with very light-colored, sensitive skin should use a higher level of sun coverage, like a 45 SPF.

"If you are a darker complexion and maybe a tougher-type skin, you could probably get by with less than that as far as the amount of protection," Shrader said. "You probably want to use a 24 or 25 SPF."

Sunburns are common when it comes to being exposed in the sun for a long period of time. The burn usually appears within a few hours after the person has been exposed to the sun.

There are two kinds of sunburns, first-degree and second-degree burns.

First-degree burns cause skin to become red, warm and tender to touch. Katrina Kaucher, a freshman undecided major, re-lives her day of being sunburned.

"It was a feeling of constant warmth and it was uncomfortable," she said. "You can't touch the spots that are sun burnt."

Most people who have been sunburned have experienced this type of burn.

Second-degree burns are more serious, causing swelling, reddening, pain and blisters. In the case of second-degree burns, a person should see a physician.

"Women that are on birth control pills or hormone replacement are going to require a high level (of SPF) as well because it makes you more skin sensitive," Shrader said. "If they are on these certain medications, they need to let their pharmacist know."

There are ways to be in the sun and not get burned.

"If you want to try to tan, you're going to want to use sunscreen and go out for a couple of hours and not lay out very long," Shrader said. "You do that every day until you reach the tan you want. It is a process. You can't just automatically do it one or two days."

Sunburn is a short-term effect of prolonged sun exposure, however, the long-term effects are also harmful. Sun exposure can cause brown age spots, blotchiness and uneven skin tone, wrinkles and even skin cancer.

According to an article on webmd.com by Jeanie Lerche Davis, sunburns can increase the risk of skin cancer in young people. Ultraviolet rays from the sun cause pigment changes in the skin causing parts of it to turn a darker brown color, which should be checked regularly by a doctor.

It is important for young people to take care of their skin at an early age and to check for suspicious moles or colorations of the skin.