Essay Sample on UV Safety: Protecting Skin All Year Long

Introduction

Annually there has been an awareness of UV safety. The motive of the attention is aimed at synthesizing humankind on the necessity of skin protection not just for the month but all year long. American Cancer Society has stated that the leading cause of most types of skin cancers is the UV radiation from the sun. One of the Philadelphia Phillies Mike Schmidt was diagnosed with melanoma in the year 2013. It was recorded that in the recent past half a decade, he has been advocating for screen protector dispensers in various regions such as Citizen Bank Park as well as through parks and publicly shared spaces in and around Philadelphia. The truth of the matter is that sunscreen should not be the first defense against the sun. The American Cancer Society advocates for people to put on protective clothes and find time whenever in the shade. It is again advisable to have an understanding of the risks and also to have checkups on the skin conditions as often as possible. The survivors of a different type of cancer are susceptible to the effects to which the UV rays can cause (Zhou et al., 2020). Despite the health benefits that the sun brings along, such as the uptake of Vitamin D, one should consult with the health care providers for guidance.

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Hazards of Overexposure

Knowledge traverses all over that too much sun is hazardous for our skin. But a question arises what is the ideal duration or the maximum time one can spend under the sun? The fact remains that one cannot feel the UV rays hitting them. By the fact that one cannot handle the strength of the beams, one cannot experience the effect it can bring. Summer heat is not advocated for either because even in the cold temperatures, the rays also penetrate the skin. The reason for this is the heat from the sun does not come from the UV radiation but rather the infrared light in the sun rays. The intensity of the UVB radiation ranges from low to too high, which is 11 in the UV index (Zhou et al., 2020). The higher the index, the more it calls for the subject to take precautions. There is always a high UV radiation at the regions where there is a limited amount of Ozone layer. Areas of low ozone layerch as around the equator. The idea of frequent sunbathing and intensive exposure to the sun can be too much for the skin to bare. Gradual exposure to the skin makes the corneal layer of the skin thicker hence providing a protective layer against the harmful sun rays. Unfortunately, the thick corneal layer of the skin cannot guarantee the different types of damages that the UV light can cause and against skin cancer.

Apart from cancer of the skin, prolonged exposure of the eye to sunlight can seriously damage the retina. Macular degeneration is also associated with the prolonged exposure of the eyes to UV rays from the sun. Unfortunately, macular disintegration is a top reason of losing vision from elderly Americans. UV waves and, more specifically, the UV-B rays are said to be responsible for causing some forms of cataracts-the clouding of the natural lens of the eye that helps to focus the light. Pterygium is yet another reason for vision problems, and to some percentage, it is caused by the exposure of the eye to UV-rays (Zhou et al., 2020). The growth of the Pterygium starts at the white layer of the eye and eventually stretches to the cornea, which can cause blindness. The growth of Pterygium is more rampant to the people who work in sunny and windy places.

Protection Strategies

Despite the fact that we all need some amount of sun exposure, we are vulnerable to the extremes of the same. The skin, when let to the sunlight, vitamin D is made that is essential in the absorption of calcium in our bodies. It does not take a long time for the body to absorb the required amounts of vitamin D the body needs (Bredif et al., 2018). It is worth mentioning that vitamin D is also available in healthy diets and supplements work as well. Besides the aforementioned health hazards, the immune system is compromised when one is exposed to excessive sunlight. Unfortunately, every age group is vulnerable to the various health risks caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight. To protect our bodies;

Use Sunscreen

Through the use of sunscreen, the American Academy of Dermatology advocates for all kids to wear sunscreen. It is again recommended that whatever the sunscreen that one puts on, one should make sure the product offers protection against a wide range of rays such as UVA and UVB. If the person using the product is looking forward to being around water, the water-resistant products ought to be applied (Bredif et al., 2018).

Avoid the Strongest Rays of the Day

Another concern and ideal way of protecting the skin is staying away from the sun at its intensive emission of rays. The sun usually intensifies differently from region to region, and thus depending on the place, one should avoid when the sun is at its strongest. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is at its toughest amid 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Bredif et al., 2018). The vulnerable presumably, the kids and the cancer survivors should apply the protective creams and reapply them again so long as they are in contact with direct sunlight. Most of the sun damages are caused by daily being exposed to the UV rays and not being exposed in a single day

Cover Up

In the absence of the protective creams, coving up of the exposed skin works best. Clothes offer enough protection, and to be sure of sufficient protection, one can try looking through the cloth to ensure there is sufficient protection. Kids are even more vulnerable in that their melanin has not developed fully, plus they have a thinner skin as compared to adults. The ideal protection for young ones is offering shade, and thus they ought to be kept out of the sun as often as possible. In a case where the babies need to be in the sun, they should be covered as much as possible with hats that offer a wide brim of shadow. Older people can come along with their umbrellas in a case where there are outdoor events (Bredif et al., 2018). In a hot condition, to avoid heat stress, older people can have long-sleeved shirts to cover their skins from the scorching sun.

Wear Sunglasses

Sunglasses are essential as they offer protection to the eyes and the skin around the eyes. A single day in the sun could translate to a burned cornea. Over a prolonged period of time without sunglasses, the sun can cause cataracts, which would bring about blurred vision at a later stage in life. There is a wide range of sunglasses, and the ideal ones offer 100% protection against UV (Bredif et al., 2018).

References

Bredif, S., Rocheteau, J., Bellemere, G., Bienfait, S. L., & Baudouin, C. (2018). 1151 New protection strategy against photo-aging targeted on broad sun-spectrum damaging effects (UV, IR, Blue Light). Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 138(5), S195.

Zhou, G., Peng, L., Gao, W., Zou, Y., Tan, Y., Ding, Y., ... & Chen, R. (2020). The acute effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure on solar dermatitis in Shanghai, China. International Journal of Biometeorology, 64(4), 585-591.