含羞草研究社淭he phrase 含羞草研究社榟ealthy tan含羞草研究社� is an oxymoron,含羞草研究社� says Dr. Harvey Lui. 含羞草研究社淎 tan is a sign that you含羞草研究社檝e damaged your skin. Your body responds to that injury with a tan as a way of repairing the skin.含羞草研究社�

Lui含羞草研究社攁 medical dermatologist with the BC Cancer Agency and a professor of dermatology and skin science at UBC含羞草研究社攕ays that there are several myths about staying safe in the sun, one of which is that if you get a sunburn at the beginning of the summer season, you will then tan and be okay; hence his caution that there is no such thing as a healthy tan. 含羞草研究社淎 sunburn is nature含羞草研究社檚 warning that you shouldn含羞草研究社檛 be doing this.含羞草研究社�

Another myth is that if the sky is cloudy, the weakened sunlight will not be damaging to your skin. 含羞草研究社淭here is a significant amount of UV [ultraviolet] rays still reaching the earth. And if it含羞草研究社檚 cold, people might let their guard down. If it含羞草研究社檚 sunny but cold there含羞草研究社檚 still a risk, because it含羞草研究社檚 the invisible UV rays damaging the skin, not the heat.含羞草研究社�

Lui says that it takes decades for skin cancer to develop, and that the damage starts in childhood. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 really important for people to realize that research is showing that the risk of developing melanoma [a malignant tumour] correlates with the sun you got early in life.

含羞草研究社淲ith early sun exposure, such as a few bad burns or tanning, the cells get damaged. It takes decades for the cancer to develop, so parents need to protect their children. Even if everyone started practising good sun prevention today, we would still be seeing an increase in skin cancer for the next 20 to 40 years.含羞草研究社�

Being in or around water during summer含羞草研究社攚hether it be a pool, lake, river, or ocean含羞草研究社攎eans people need to take extra precautions to keep their skin safe. 含羞草研究社淚f you含羞草研究社檙e by a pool, say, on a sunny day you含羞草研究社檙e getting lots of sun on your skin, and you could also be getting a reflected dose of light off the water.含羞草研究社�

Anyone going in the water needs to apply sunscreen before they do so. 含羞草研究社淭he sun含羞草研究社檚 rays can penetrate the water, and when your head is above the water you含羞草研究社檙e getting the sun plus a reflection from the water.含羞草研究社� Sunscreen also needs to be reapplied when you come out of the water.

When it comes to sunscreen, Lui says a common error is not applying enough. 含羞草研究社淧eople often use only a quarter or half as much as they need.含羞草研究社� And while people are pretty good about applying sunscreen to their face, they often forget to put it on their ears, behind their ears, and on the back of their neck.

He recommends that people look for a sunscreen with an SPF [sun protection factor] of 30 or higher. 含羞草研究社淭hirty is the bare minimum; as high as 50 or 60 is even better. It含羞草研究社檚 not more expensive.含羞草研究社�

People should also ensure that the sunscreen is a broad spectrum one, covering UVA and UVB rays, and should look for the logo of the Canadian Dermatology Association. 含羞草研究社淭hey have reviewed all sunscreens, and feel these ones are effective.含羞草研究社�

He adds that any sunscreen that is labelled as being specifically for children is a marketing thing, nothing more. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 no such thing as sunscreen for children. There含羞草研究社檚 no difference. The same sunscreen can be used by everyone in the family.含羞草研究社�

Lui also cautions against buying spray-on sunscreen. 含羞草研究社淪unscreen in a spray bottle is convenient, but it含羞草研究社檚 very expensive, because you含羞草研究社檙e just spraying a lot of it into the air.含羞草研究社�

He adds that while some people get anxious about using sunscreen (含羞草研究社淭hey worry about putting chemicals on their skin含羞草研究社�), and acknowledges there is a theoretical concern that these materials might cause damage, a person would have to apply gallons of sunscreen to theoretically absorb trace elements of chemicals.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 wiser to protect your skin than to avoid sunscreen.含羞草研究社� He notes that sun greatly accelerates the aging process, and increases wrinkles later in life. 含羞草研究社淚 tell people next time they含羞草研究社檙e in front of a mirror to look at their face and then look at their bum. They含羞草研究社檙e both the same age, but you don含羞草研究社檛 get wrinkles on your bum, because it doesn含羞草研究社檛 get exposed to the sun.含羞草研究社�

Since the sun含羞草研究社檚 rays are strongest between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Lui advises people to try to stay out of the sun during those hours. 含羞草研究社淚f you含羞草研究社檙e a gardener, the nicest time to garden is early in the morning or in the evening. It含羞草研究社檚 much safer and cooler.含羞草研究社� Gardeners should wear a broad-brimmed hat with a brim as wide as their palm extending all around it. 含羞草研究社淏aseball caps are cool, but they were designed to help a baseball player see better in sunlight, not protect him from the sun.含羞草研究社�

Since gardeners are often looking down, they need to apply sunscreen to their ears and neck. Hikers need to pay attention to these areas as well, especially if they are walking with their back to the sun.

Another myth about exposure to the sun surrounds Vitamin D. 含羞草研究社淪unlight helps make Vitamin D, but Vitamin D is also available through your diet or in supplements. And people think 含羞草研究社業f some sun is good for Vitamin D, a lot of sun must be better.含羞草研究社� Vitamin D comes in tinted bottles to protect it from the light. Extra Vitamin D is degraded by sunlight, and you will accumulate DNA damage and have a higher risk of skin cancer.含羞草研究社�

While some clothing is marketed as being designed to protect the skin from sun exposure, Lui says it含羞草研究社檚 fine to buy less-expensive clothing that has a nice tight weave.

含羞草研究社淭he simple rule of thumb is to hold the material up to the light and make sure none gets through. Jeans are a good example; no one gets a tan through jeans.

含羞草研究社淪imple things are fine. And common sense is the cheapest thing around.含羞草研究社�