Yes…I nag them. Sometimes you just have to! But here is why I
nag them about baking in the sun and tanning beds. I get that everyone loves the sun—I even love the sun
believe it or not! I am not perfect about protecting myself either! These last few weeks I have come across a lot
of people rolling their eyes and saying yes, yes you have told me this before :) Being smart about the sun is the key to being
healthy and safe.
I will start with my superficial side (I mean I am an
esthetician). IT GIVES YOUR WRINKLES! And
sun spots! The sun is the number one aging factor. So yes, part of me just
wants us all to look good forever and delay or slow down the aging process by
being sun cautious.
I mean who wants to look like this!? ;)
Now
lets get to the main reason. Skin cancer. Its not to be taken lightly.
Estimated for 2014 there are 76,100 new
cases of melanoma and 9,710 deaths from melanoma. That is 9,710 families
grieving a family member just in 2014. Last weekend my sister and I volunteered at the melanoma walk. As
we were standing there helping people stay on the right path a family was
walking toward us with a few young kids. One of them was crying so as mom/aunt
we gave them the warm been-there-i-get-it smile assuming she was just tired of
walking so long. It turned out to be much more than that. They stopped by us
and the mom asked what was going on. The dad replied that she misses grandpa
and doing the walk brought back a lot of emotions. The grandma with them then said
here honey do you want to wear grandpas hat? He would be so proud of you for
supporting this. It brought us both to tears that these kids grandpa is gone
too soon because of Melanoma. Skin cancer is no joke. That same week I had a
friend who is a skin cancer survivor tell me about finding a spot on her that
brought her to tears after finding out everything was ok. It really is no joke.
I am not an expert about melanoma by any
means but I do have some tips that can help keep you safe from the sun!
Here are a few tips to stay safe in the sun this
summer—
- Get a good physical block sunscreen. Physical block sunscreen containing Titanium dioxide and zinc
oxide is the best protection from the sun! There are 17 individual sunscreen
ingredients that are FDA approved: 15 of these are clear chemicals that absorb
UV light and two are made of minerals that reflect UV light. Of these 15, nine
are known endocrine disruptors. To be effective, chemical sunscreens need to be
rubbed into their skin 20 minutes before sun exposure. They do a pretty good
job at blocking UV light, but they actually get used up as the sun shines on
them. In fact Some sunscreens lose as much as 90% of their effectiveness in
just an hour, so they need to be reapplied often. This is not the case with
zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the two mineral, or physical, sunscreens.
These two work very differently – they sit on the surface of the skin and
physically block UV light.
- Stay out of direct sunlight during peak hours (10 AM- 4 PM) or take shade breaks. This
is one that people always look at me like I am crazy. I don’t mean not to leave
your house between those hours! Those are the hours that the sun is hottest and
most harmful. If you are out during these hours take breaks or switch off
between and little time in the sun and some time in the shade!
- Wear a hat and protective clothing.
This is a great way to be out enjoying the weather with a little more
protection. Take a look at your clothing though. Some items say UV protective
on them but some clothing is not! Espically light fabrics. Same goes for the
hats. A big sun hat is great (love that they are in style for beachwear!) but
some straw hats or woven hats with small holes still let the sunlight in. Also, sunglasses that are UVA/UVB protective
are a must!
- Reapply, reapply, reapply, your
SPF. Especially if you are swimming.
That friends, family, and clients is why I remind you ten
times to wear a good spf and take shade breaks. I love the sun as much as you
do but not more than I love you!
No comments:
Post a Comment