How to prevent getting a sunburn in this summer?

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay   Edited by ConSCIENCE

Lovely summer days are coming, but, in India, where the temperature rises above 45°C, there is many more things to be taken care of. One of the major concerning focus is your skin.

A major drawback of this summer season is getting a bad sunburn all over your open body space. Sunburn and tan are totally different issue. Sunburns are caused due to overexposure to UVB rays from Sun.

Due to sunburn, your skin gets irritated, flaky, redness and blister. The outer layer of the skin gets totally damaged by the sunrays. One bad sunburn can do the long-lasting damage to your skin, which may be in turn leads to the risk of skin cancer. 

So, it is better to prevent getting a sunburn. You should take some precautions to prevent it. This article brings you about the scientific cause and consequences of sunburn and some tips to prevent it. 

[Further reading: Survive the heat with a face mask on]

Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

Behind the sunburn

Sunburn mainly caused by two types of harmful UV rays coming from the sun, i.e. UVA and UVB, of which, UVA ray is responsible for premature aging of your skin, can develop wrinkles and age spots. It penetrates the skin deeper than UVB rays and can be a cause of skin cancer [1].

UVB rays can burn your skin very badly and can cause skin cancer. It doesn’t harm you only during the sunny days, but also in cloudy days too. UVA and UVB rays can pass through the clouds and can make changes in your skin’s DNA. 

Symptoms of sunburn can show after some hours of sun exposure that included redness of skin, blisters, dry and itchy skin, painful and swollen skin etc. [2].

These symptoms can go away after some days with or without treatments, of course proper treatments can give you faster relief, but this sunburn can cause permanent damage to your DNA which may lead to skin cancer.

Tips to prevent sunburn in this summer

It is true that prevention is always better than cure. If you get sunburn, then you have to treat it accordingly, but as it possesses risk of skin cancer too, so, it is better to not getting a sunburn this season.

Here are some tips to follow during this hot summer days to prevent a bad sunburn:

1. At first, minimize the time of sun exposure during the maximum temperature of a day. It is better to avoid the time for sun exposure completely, if possible, i.e. avoid the peak hours of heat (11 p.m. to 3 p.m.).

2.  Always seek shade in between your work. If you have to work outside for a long time, then try to find shade intermittently to prevent getting a sunburn [3].

Here is a trick, follow the shadow rule: if your shadow seems shorter during the day, then assume the sun rays are intense that time, so find a shade for then [4].

3.  Try to wear light-coloured full sleeved cloths or sun protection clothing to prevent getting a bad sunburn on all over your body. This cloth can help you to not getting sunburn while working on sun for maximum period.

Now a days, sun protection clothing is trendy, which comes with Ultraviolet Protection Factor or UPF. A fabric with UPF 50 can protect you from 98% sunrays (both UVA and UVB) and allow to penetrate only 2% radiation into your skin. Thus, it decreases the risk of skin cancer [5].   

[Further reading: Super hydrating food for summer]

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

4. Wear sunglasses. It is more than a fashion statement. It can protect your eyes and the sensitive skin surrounding your eyes. Sunglasses can block the harmful UV rays.

By not wearing a sunglass, you can develop a sunburn surrounding your eyes, a cataract or a risk of eye cancer [6].

So, always opt for 100% UV rays protective glasses to prevent getting a sunburn around the eyes, because, if you go for a cheap sunglass, then at the dark, your pupils naturally dilate and can absorb more UV rays.

Photo by Lina Verovaya on Unsplash

5. Use a sunblock cream or sunscreen lotion. To prevent getting a sunburn try a high-performance sunblock cream or sunscreen lotion.

Always use an water resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 30. Make sure it can give you a good protection from both the harmful rays, UVA and UVB [7].  

Apply the sunscreen generously all over your exposed body parts i.e. face, neck, ears, hands, toes, etc. before 30 minutes of exposure. Don’t forget to reapply it in every two hours or after swimming, sweating or if get washed or rubbed.

Use sunscreen even in the shade, because, UV rays can be scatter or reflects from any subject like cement, water, sand etc.

 Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay 

6. Use an umbrella or wear a wide-brimmed hat all the summer long to prevent getting a sunburn this season. Research suggests that the umbrella can reduce the exposure of UV rays by 77% to 99% [8].

But, don’t just rely only upon the umbrella, because it can’t reduce the scattered or indirect UV rays which reflect from any object and getting into the skin. So, use a sunblock before an outing with an umbrella during the hottest day time.

Similarly, use a wide-brimmed hat when possible to reduce the exposure of UV rays from your face.

7. Consult your doctor if you have sensitive skin to get some specialized sunscreen or ointment suitable for your skin to prevent getting a sunburn in the vacation. 

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

ConScience

Sunburn is not desired one in your beautiful vacation during summer, so always try to maintain the above-mentioned protocol to prevent getting a sunburn. 

As many people like the tanned, golden skin, but tan skin is damaged skin and a damaged skin can cause rash, wrinkles, age spot and an increasing risk of skin cancer also.

So, protect your skin and look fabulous throughout the summer season. Have a beautiful and happy life..