With the bright spring sun will come new skin problems, namely "sun damage." Human skin is very sensitive to the sun and if not protected, brown spots, wrinkles, and dehydration will damage the skin.
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The sun activates the skin aging process. In addition, overexposure to the sun can bring chronic damage, which in turn may lead to skin cancer. More than 90 percent of all skin cancer is caused by sun exposure. We are exposed to the sun, directly or indirectly, nearly every day.
In my practice, I often see women with higher hyperpigmentation and more wrinkles on the left side of the face than on the right. These is driver damage. You need to remember that a window does not protect the skin and you may be receiving more sun that you realize.
How can we safely protect the skin, yet get some sun that we all need for good health? Here a few steps that you can take:
- Do not sunbathe, but try to get a little sun in the early morning or late afternoon.
- Avoid sun exposure especially between 9a.m.-5p.m., the peak hours for harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- When outdoors during time of strong sunshine, use sunscreen rated SPF15 or higher.
- When you must be exposed to intense sunlight, wear protective clothing such as long pants, long sleeved shirts, broad-brimmed hats and UV-protective sunglasses.
