THE SUNWhat You Need To Know Before Heading Out

THE SUNWhy is Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) so Harmful?You’ve heard UV rays are bad, but did you know that the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization have declared them a carcinogen? You may also not be aware there are three di�erent types of UV radiation, each emitting a di�erent wavelength:

UVA Radiation: That “A” on the end stands for aging, by the way! UVA has wavelengths between 320 and 400 nm that can penetrate deep layers of the skin. These are the rays that are responsible for aging, wrinkles, and skin cancer. And, since the ozone layer does a poor job of absorbing it, UVA radiation accounts for about 95% of the radiation on Earth.

UVB Radiation:That “B” stands for burning. This type of radiation has wavelengths between 320 and 290 nm and is mostly trapped by the ozone layer. So, the extra 5% of radiation is made up of this type. And that’s good, because it’s UVB that is responsible for the vitamin D production in our bodies. However, overexposure to this type of radiation causes skin damage, mostly to the very top layer, resulting in sunburns, some forms of skin cancer, and even cataracts. Due to the ozone depletion in recent years, more UVB rays have been reaching the Earth, making sun protection even more important.

Summer is in full swing, and that means many people are spending as much time outdoors as they possibly can, enjoying the sunshine and warmer temps. But with more sunshine and warmer temps comes intensi�ed UV radiation, which can damage our skin and eyes.

UVC Radiation:This radiation emits the shortest wavelengths of only 290 and 100 nm, which means they have the highest energy, which means they are the most harmful. The lower the wavelength, the higher the damage. Fortunately, this radiation is almost entirely blocked by the ozone layer. But with that layer being depleted each decade, health care professional warn people to use proper precautions.

Skin CancerSkin cancer is actually the most common form of cancer in the United States, with over 70,000 people diagnosed each year.There are thee forms of skin cancer that are the most diagnosed:• Basal cell carsinoma (BCC) • Squamous cell carsinoma • Melanoma

Health Risks of UV Ray Exposure Let’s take a closer look at some of the health risks associated with exposure to the sun’s UV rays:

SunburnWhile mild sunburns may “only” cause slight pain and itching, severe burns can cause the skin to blister and become infected. In either scenario, the skin has been damaged. When UVB (burn) hits the skin, skin cells die and parts of their non-coding micro-RNA become damaged and break. Surrounding cells detect this damage and set o� a series of reactions to in�ame the skin around their dead brethren. This in�ammation allows the skin to heal by removing the dead cells that may have undergone genetic mutations. (Yes, genetic mutations caused by the sun’s UV rays!) These mutations (which I’ll discuss a little bit later) are the basis of cancer formations. Your skin peels because the body is trying to remove these potential cancer-forming cells.

An extra word of caution: Do not think that on cloudy days your skins is safe from harmful UV rays. Even on days of light cloud cover, 80% pf UV rays can still reach the Earth’s surface and you can still get sunburned and skin damage.

BCC and SCC, the two non-melanomas, account for roughly 3.5 million worldwide skin cancer diagnoses each year. Luckily, these two forms of cancer seldom metastasize and e�ective treatments have increased over the years.

Melanoma, on the other hand, is a much more dangerous type of skin cancer, resulting in roughly 10,000 deaths each year.

Here’s another frightening fact about melanoma, while BCC and SCC will usually form in an area of the body that has experienced repeated sun exposure, melanoma can be a result from just one really bad sunburn. On top of this, melanoma is also di�erent because it can metastasize and spread throughout the body.

So how exactly does ultraviolet radiation cause skin cancer?

As I mentioned a bit earlier in this report, UV radiation can cause our skin cells to mutate. The high energy waves actually damage the chromosomes in our DNA. One common mutation that occurs is the alteration of the chromosome that codes for a speci�c tumor suppressor gene. These genes are incredibly important in regulating the cell cycle and damage may result in uncontrolled cell division and the formation of tumors.

This mutation is just one of the ways UV radiation can change our cells’ DNA, but, as you can see, even slight mutations can have profound consequences.

Eye DamageIt’s not just our skin that can get damaged from harmful UV rays. Eyes, especially light-colored eyes, can actually get burned by even short-term exposure to UVB radiation. Speci�cally, when the cornea becomes burned and in�amed, it is called photokeratitis; and when the inner surface of the eyelid is burned it is called photoconjunctivitis.

Over time and with enough exposure to UV rays, the eyes can become prone to cataracts (the clouding of the lens) and macular degeneration, which can lead to permanent blindness. Long-term UV exposure can even lead to melanoma of the eye.

WrinklesLet’s end on a vain note, shall we, and talk about those �ne lines and wrinkles that are a result of too much sun exposure. That’s right, UV radiation is one of the primary causes of aging.

When the collagen and elastin �bers are exposed to UV rays, they break down and the �exibility of the skin is reduced. Once this �exibility starts to decrease, our skin starts to sag because it can no longer “snap back” when pulled or stretched.This is why when many of us that are of a “certain age” wake up in the morning, we have lines on our faces from the pillow case, and these lines can take hours to �nally fade.

1. Cover Up In summer months it’s common to see people wearing as little clothing as possible. But all of this exposed skin is being exposed to UV radiation.When you know you will be outside for prolonged amounts of time, particularly in the early afternoon when the sun’s rays are strongest, be sure to cover up and wear tightly-woven clothing that blocks out sunlight.

2. Wear a HatThough a baseball cap will help shield part of your face from sunlight, a wide brim hat is a much better options because it will protect your neck, ears, forehead, nose and scalp.

3. Wear Sunglasses with UV-Absorbent ShadesNot all sunglasses were created equal. Regular tinted lenses only make your surroundings less bright, they don’t protect your eyes from those harmful UV rays. Be sure and wear shades that come with UV-absorbent lenses.

How to Protect Yourself from UV Radiation Exposure

Now that you understand the risks of too much sun exposure, let’s look at some practical ways you can protect yourself from the dangers of harmful UV rays:

5. Use SunscreenUsing a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 has been reported to block about 93% of UV rays.

4. Limit ExposureChoose times of the day – like early morning or late afternoon – for your outdoor activities. At these times the sun’s rays are less powerful.

The Dangers of Conventional SunscreensAccording to research from the EWG, a majority of commercial sunscreens contains harmful ingredients that can be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream. Some of these can actuallyrelease skin-damaging free radicals in sunlight, while others can act like estrogen and disrupt hormones, and still others can cause skin irritation and rashes. On top of this, numerous brands have been found to not only be dangerous, but also completely ine�ective.

Most consumers don’t realize that the FDA has not yet established rigorous safety standards for sunscreen ingredients. So, while you may think you are doing something healthy, ifyou’re not careful, you could do more harm than good.

A Healthier Alternative Tired of seeing his vulnerable patients experience the negative e�ects of the sun’s harmful UV rays, one of America’s top board-certi�ed dermatologists and surgeons has set out to create a revolutionary form of sun protection. Not only does his scienti�cally-backed formula protect your skin from sun radiation... including safeguarding your sensitive eyes from UV rays... it even has the potential to reverse unwanted wrinkles. His formula is unlike any other sunblock you’ve seen. This remarkable breakthrough provides natural, invisible, full-body protection against UV rays from the inside-out.

Find out how you and your loved ones can protect your skin and eyes from UV radiation, and even get rid of some unwanted wrinkles, in a revolutionary way...

Click Here

Resources

Centers for Disease Control

EWG

“ASK THE EXPERT: Is Sun Exposure the Only Cause of Skin Cancer.”

Skin Cancer Foundation. n.d

“Facts about Sunburn and Skin Cancer.” Skin Cancer Foundation. n.d

“Ozone and UV: Where We Now.” Skin Cancer Foundation. n.d

“Skin Cancer Facts.” American Cancer Society. 2 February 2015

“Skin Cancer Facts.” Skin Cancer Foundation. 9 February 2015

“The Known Health E�ects of UV” World Health Organization. n.d.

“UV Protection: Protecting Your Eyes From Solar Radiation.”

American Optometric Association. n.d

“UV Radiation.” Environmental Protection Agency. June 2010

“UV Radiation.” World Health Organization. n.d

“What is UV Radiation.” American Cancer Society. 30 May 2014

“Wrinkles Causes.” Mayo Clinic. 21 October 2014