The links between sun exposure and premature ageing. Protect yourself against UVA & UVB rays.
Posted by SALLY COETZEE
Growing up in Australia, the sun was always very strong and sunscreen was always applied in thick layers. I remember hating getting sunscreen put on as a child, it smelt, it was thick and white and it stung your eyes. Yet the parents never let this stop them! If it wore off or was not applied properly you paid the price and boy did that sunburn hurt!
Going on to have 3 children of my own I followed this ritual with my own children. Going to the pool or the beach was a very stressful exercise as my kids screamed and protested over their sunscreen applications and even 30 years later it still seems to sting and be thick and white.
Skin cancer in Australia is a high profile topic, with good reason, as at least 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70.1
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. This is due largely to the climate, the fact that many of the population have fair skin that isn’t really suited to such harsh conditions, the proximity to the equator (high UV levels) and our social attitudes and love for the outdoors.
We were trained from a young age to "slip slop slap, put on sunscreen and put on a hat" the jingle to encourage sun protection.
Despite the threat to life the sun can cause in the form of skin cancer it also causes premature aging of our skin.
When I started to run the beauty and personal care division of a major retailer I developed a further interest in what really prevented aging on our skin. I have a grandma who is in her 90s and has pristine youthful skin. She never used any expensive branded products but she definitely kept out of the sun, drank water, wash her face with simple natural products and moisturised.
There are now many studies that show sun exposure can lead to premature ageing.
One study of identical twins showed an 11.25 year difference in perceived age due to their different exposure to the sun over time[i].
One case in the New England Journal of Medicine even shows a truck driver with severe damage to just one side of his face, thanks to years of sitting in a driver’s seat window[ii].
Seeing driver images, like the above, of the effects on sun damage to one side of the face really motivated me to wear daily sunscreen!
But what is actually happening when the sun causes wrinkles and skin damage? Let’s take a look at the links between sun exposure and premature aging.
How does the sun age your skin?
When we expose ourselves to sunlight without protection, our skin is hit by both UVA and UVB rays. UVB radiation damages and kills cells in the outer layers of the skin.
This promotes cell production that leads to a thickening of the epidermis over time. UVB has long been blamed for most skin cancers, but recently it has been found that UVA is also responsible for its fair share of damage – and especially deep skin damage.
In fact, the World Health Organization itself states that it’s UVA that we should be particularly aware of when it comes to premature ageing[iii]. As UVA penetrates into our skin’s deeper layers, it activates receptors that reduce the skin’s future elasticity.
Both the thickening and loss of elasticity play their part in the link between sun exposure and wrinkles, and of course both UVA and UVB both also cause damage that can lead to skin cancers.
Unfortunately, UVA radiation can even permeate through glass and clouds and it can reach our skin all year round. This makes regular sunscreen application and sun protective clothing a sensible choice no matter the time of year. It’s also why we should look for broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB types of sun radiation.
How to prevent premature ageing from the sun
While ageing catches up to us all at some point, there are certainly things we can do to minimise the sun’s effects. Wearing a hat and sunscreen when out in the sun is one of the simplest measures, plus of course you’ll also be protecting yourself against a higher risk of skin cancers.
Remember that a ‘sun-kissed glow’ is safer when it comes from a bottle, rather than from sitting in the sun[iv].
Along with sun protection, there are the basics of good health to keep your skin in top condition. Minimise smoking and alcohol, eat a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg and keep up your regular exercise (this sounds like my Grandma's lifestyle!).
The benefits will not only keep you looking great, but feeling great too.
Despite lathering the sunscreen on us growing up my mum never liked that alot of the products on the market were chemically based. A lot of friends I know had tried natural mineral sunscreens but found them almost like a zinc finish.
Now living as an expat in The Middle East I was very conscious of being exposed to harsh UV rays everyday and wanting a daily ritual of sun protection under my make-up.
I am so pleased we have found EEZYSUN, a SPF50 sunscreen that offers natural Protection & is scientifically proven. A mineral sunscreen that ticks all the boxes of sun protection, is eco-friendly, cruelty free, marine friendly, dermatologically approved. It does not sting your eyes or your kids eyes and is absorbed not leaving you with a white mask.
The first sunscreen I can apply to my 4 year old without tears and protests! Protect yourself and those around you daily!
Help prevent premature aging, sunburn and decrease the risk of skin cancer.
WEAR SUNSCREEN DAILY!
Source: https://actcancer.org/prevention/sunsmart/skin-cancer-in-australia/
1. Staples MP, Elwood M, Burton RC, Williams JL, Marks R, Giles GG. Non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia: the 2002 national survey and trends since 1985. Med J Aust 2006 Jan 2;184(1):6-10 [Abstract available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16398622].
Source: https://sundoctors.com.au/blog/links-sun-exposure-premature-ageing/
[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4174174/
[ii] http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1104059
[iii] http://www.who.int/uv/faq/uvhealtfac/en/
iv] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/28/fake-real-tanning-health-risks_n_5207704.html
Reviews (4 comments)
https://Ukrain-forum.Biz.ua/ On
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Ukrain-forum.biz.Ua On
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Ukrain-forum.biz.Ua On
Hello this is kind of of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually
code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon bbut have no coding know-how so I wanted to get advikce from someone with experience.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! https://ukrain-forum.biz.ua/
Mikaila On
Great advice! I can’t be in the sun for long at all without getting burnt if I don’t have the right sunscreen and my skin does suffer. Love the 50 spf and the sachets to throw in my handbag!