Archive for the ‘Sun Protection’ Category

Skin protection against sun exposure

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Whenever the sun exposed skin should be protected from radiation exposure, either through the use of clothing (preferably light-colored, natural fiber) and the use of hats or caps and, in areas of exposed skin through the use of sunscreen. The sunscreens contain substances that act as sunscreens, reducing the amount of rays that penetrate the skin, avoiding burns and degenerative changes of the skin if used properly.

Depending on how acting filters can be physical or chemical.

  • Physical filters: are substances impervious to sunlight, creating a screen in areas where it has been applied and reflects light. Prevent the passage of the three types of radiation: ultraviolet, visible and infrared. The most commonly used are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and mica.
  • Chemical filters: they absorb solar ultraviolet radiation. Some of those used are the PABA (para-amino benzoic acid), cinnamic acid, sulfonic acid, camphor, benzophenone and dibenzoylmethanes.

To quantify the filtering capacity of sunscreen is used the so-called Sun Protection Factor: a number that measures how many times it can be exposed to the sun to produce the same redness or erythema that if he had not used the cream sunscreen. That is, if not for the skin starts to turn red (erythema), the first day that we must take the sun 10 minutes, using an SPF cream 5, it will take 50 minutes.

The SPF indicates the time that we expose to the sun without risk of burns. The higher the SPF, the higher the protection from sunlight.

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Types of Radiation

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Sunlight breaks down upon reaching the earth’s surface in various types of radiation according to wavelength, are classified as ultraviolet radiation, visible radiation and infrared. In turn, ultraviolet radiation can be UVC, UVB or UVA. UVC rays have the shortest wavelength, are the most energy and therefore more capable of burns, but are retained by the ozone layer. Thus the reduction or the existence of holes in the ozone layer is so dangerous.

UVB rays as well as the heating effect (which causes the redness or Erythema of the skin when exposed to sunlight), penetrate the epidermis and stimulate the melanocytes (skin cells that produce melanin, the substance that gives the brown color to the skin).

UVA rays are the most penetrating the skin and are the cause of skin aging and melanoma (skin cancer).

Besides the type of radiation, it is necessary to know the factors influencing the action of sunlight on the skin. Thus, we must bear in mind that, how much higher the geographical area where we are, the more intense the exposure, the obliquity of the rays of the sun and the earth also influences, depending on the season, time of day and the latitude of the geographical area. The climate also influences, as the rain and clouds absorb some radiation. Also the type of area where we are, because the snow reflects up to 85% of the rays, and the dry sand to 17%.

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Effects of Sunlight on Health

Friday, January 29th, 2010

The sun is essential to life, and humans are necessary for the synthesis of vitamin D, helps the blood circulation and improves some skin diseases. It is also known its effect on the production of neurotransmitters, chemicals that facilitate the activity of neurons. However, they must be weighed very positive effects, with potential negative effects caused by heavy exposure (skin burns and eye damage) or chronic exposure (aging, age spots and skin lesions and skin cancer). Exposures are especially harmful unprotected children and youth ages, clearly related to the risk of developing melanoma (skin cancer).

To guard against such harmful effects, the human skin with the production of melanin, a substance that prevents most harmful solar radiation to penetrate the skin. Melanin is what gives the dark color to the skin and its production is stimulated by the effect of sunlight or chemicals. The number of cells that produce this substance varies according to skin types. People is highest in blacks, and lowest in whites, and among them, the lighter skins are the most susceptible to the effects of the sun.

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Effective sun protection

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

sun protectionToday, how to protect themselves from the deleterious effects of the sun represent a real public health problem of great importance. The protective clothing, conscious and responsible use of anti-solar and education of families are the tripod of an effective photoprotection, which should start in childhood.

1 .- The protection with the clothes:
It has the advantage of being user friendly, safe and affordable cost. Umbrellas, hats, sunglasses and shirts and integration should be the least of all children before exposure to sun, knowing well that if there are three factors that influence the transmission of ultraviolet rays.

* Moisture: wet dress and stops UV least one dry.
* Color: dark color ensures protection against ultraviolet rays and visible light, a light color infrared protection, ie heat.
* The material and web groso: efficiency decreases from the jeans, the bright polyester, cotton and synthetic materials.

2 .- The sunscreen products.
The protection level of the skin exceeds the cosmetology field for entering the preventive medicine. This insured sunscreen preparations formed by the association of active principle (filters or screens), solubilized or dispersed in a carrier.

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