It has been desired but it is already here.
This long-awaited spring sun makes our lives happy and recharges our energy stores but, although it seems less harmful than the summer sun, we must not lower our guard.
Cristina Villegas, head of Dermatology at Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja (Madrid), gives us the guidelines to protect our skin properly.
IS THE SPRING SUN LESS HARMFUL?
"Although it is true that at this time of year, the sun's rays reach us in a more oblique way and, therefore, less intense than in summer (period in which the radiation is more vertical),
they can also be harmful
(e, even cause us some significant burn) if we do not protect ourselves adequately. Only then,
using the necessary measures
to safeguard the health of our skin, can we enjoy
all the benefits
that this spring sun offers us, among which the following stand out: the sensation of well-being, comfort, happiness, antirachitic action (production of vitamin D), improvement of our immune state, anti-inflammatory effect, etc. ".
WHAT IS SPF?
"They are the acronym for 'frames per second'. It is calculated by dividing the
dose of ultraviolet radiation
that can cause a sunburn on the skin using a protection filter by the one caused without it. The number that results is the SPF that we must use according to our skin phototype, the season, the altitude and latitude, the time, etc. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection against sun exposure ".
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT KIND OF PROTECTION TO USE?
"
The type of sun protection that we must use before exposing ourselves to the sun
will depend on the phototype
we have, that is, on the
ability of our skin to combat the effects of ultraviolet rays
. Lower (lighter) phototypes need more intense protection, as they damage and burn faster than higher ones (darker skins). Six main phototypes can be distinguished with their respective easily recognizable characteristics:
Phototype I:
very white or milky skin with abundant freckles that always burns and never gets a tan.
Phototype II
: light skin with abundant freckles that always burns but achieves a slight tan.
Phototype III:
fair skin with few freckles that manages to tan and sometimes burns.
Phototype IV
: brown skin without freckles, which tans easily and almost never burns.
Phototype V
: dark skin without freckles that tans intensely and never burns.
Phototype VI
: black skin that never burns or becomes pigmented. "
WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF WE ARE EXPOSED TO THE SUN?
"The first thing we have to do is choose a suitable SPF (Sun Protection Factor) for our phototype. Some people think that it is impossible to tan with a high SPF, but it is not like that: tanning is slower, but it is safer. It is essential to
avoid exposure to the sun in the central hours of the day
(between 12:00 and 16:00).
We will apply the sunscreen with a certain frequency
(at least, every three or four hours) and, if we go to the pool or to the beach, we will choose water resistant formulations. In addition, we must
hydrate adequately
with water and natural juices to protect our body from sunstroke and heat stroke ".
DOES THE SKIN HAVE 'MEMORY'?
"We all have a
'solar capital'
under our belt, which we could define as the
ability of our skin to defend itself from the 'aggression' of ultraviolet radiation.
From the moment we are born until we die, solar exposure leaves a cumulative trace in our skin and, therefore, the damages that originate in the DNA of the cutaneous cells are not forgotten. Both ultraviolet A and B radiation are
carcinogenic
and cause
skin
photoaging
. For all this, it is essential to take special care photoprotection during the
first 15 years of life,
since the skin in childhood is much more vulnerable to inappropriate sun exposure, and of course, even more if there are repeated sunburns.
It has been proven that if, since we are little, we protect ourselves from the sun while always avoiding burns,
we will significantly reduce the incidence of skin cancer
in adulthood ".
HOW DOES FOOD INFLUENCE?
"Increasing the intake of
foods rich in beta-carotene
, such as carrots, tomatoes, watermelons or summer fruits, in general, can be beneficial because it helps our skin to
better 'defend' itself from ultraviolet radiation
. This does not mean that we can 'trust ourselves' and lower our guard against the sun. We can never skip the use of a sunscreen cream according to our needs ".
IS IT SOMETHING TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS?
"Indeed.
Oral supplements with beta-carotene,
as well as other antioxidant compounds, used in a supplementary way, (oral photoprotectors) help prepare the skin for social exposure,
strengthening 'its natural defense mechanisms'
. However, this does not mean that we can forget about using the correct sun protection cream ".
WHAT DO WE DO IF WE BURN?
"The most important thing to take into account if we are going to expose ourselves to the sun is to
avoid sunburn
. However, if despite having taken all possible precautions we burn ourselves, we should go to our family doctor or our dermatologist to determine the most appropriate treatment depending on the degree and extent of the burn ".
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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