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Fun in the Sun: What you need to know about sunburns and protection

Fun in the Sun: What you need to know about sunburns and protection
Date Published: Jun 27 2012

Skin damage builds over a lifetime, so protecting your skin from sunburns is important even in young people. Learn about what to look for in a sunscreen and how to determine your best SPF plan with Angie's List's Fun in the Sun infrographic.

Fun In The Sun What you need to know about sunburns and protection Sunlight is good for your health, as it gives you bone-enriching vitamin D as well as mental health benefits. But too much sun can cause painful sunburns and have a long-term negative effect on your health. Sunburns happen when your skin absorbs too many ultraviolet rays, triggering a chemical process that inflames the skin and kills cells. There are two types of ultraviolet rays: UVA causes long-term damage, including premature aging and wrinkles UVB causes sunburn Both can lead to skin cancer The sun is most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You’re more likely to get burned at higher altitudes Reflective surfaces like ice, water and white sands can enhance UV rays About SPF SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and only measures protection against UVB rays Your skin has a natural SPF, so adding sunscreen multiplies the time you can stay outside without burning by the SPF number. For example: If you burn after 10 minutes in the sun, adding SPF 15 will let you stay 15 times longer (150 minutes) before you burn* But you may need to reapply if you sweat or get in water. *Apply 15-30 minutes before going into sunlight Don’t forget these commonly missed areas: ears, neck, top of your feet, temples and scalp. For UVA and UVB protection, look for sunscreens have a “broad-spectrum” protection Angie’s List has reviews for Dermatologists

Sources
WebMD - Skin Caner
health.howstuffworks.com
chemistry.about.com
Melanoma Foundation
rd.com
skincancer.org
WebMD - Osteoporosis
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