This is the shocking portrait of how the sun damages the deep layers of the skin

"From those powders, these sludge", predicts the saying that what it comes to tell us is that a large part (not all) of the

, folly or barbarity to which, probably, we didn't give too much importance in the past.

Customs so entrenched in our 'popular culture' a few decades ago, such as, for example, curing a Julio Iglesias level tan by dint of spending hours, especially the central hours of the day, in a constant back and forth, prior skin maceration with a

.

Obviously, sun protection was not even considered because, in the end, if we got burned, we always had to resort to 'the infallible' remedy of

as if there were no tomorrow.

In 'those wonderful' years of

, there were very few who considered that this must not be very healthy despite the fact that, from time to time, the Jiminy Cricket of common sense whispered in our ears that

.

But tomorrow came.

And, thanks to powerful outreach campaigns such as

promoted by the International Dermatology Clinic and the Ruber International Mirasierra Dermatology Unit, in collaboration with Avène laboratories, we are more aware of the importance of

, a disease whose main culprits are, in addition to the genetic factor,

Image of the superficial appearance of the skin of the same person, analyzed with Visia.

Because in this initiative, Dr. Ricardo Ruiz and his team show the horrifying portrait of what cannot be seen with the naked eye: the mark that the sun has left, year after year, on the deepest layers of our skin and that, if We do not remedy it urgently, it could end up manifesting itself externally in the form of melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer that

.

DAMAGE

To better understand all this, José Luis Ramírez Bellver, CDI dermatologist and one of the participants in #Notequemesconelsol2022, explains how the sun acts on our skin.

"There are different radiations that reach our skin and produce harmful effects (also some beneficial ones) on it:

for example, is the cause of premature aging (photoaging), as it is the one that reaches the deepest, and produces alterations in elastic

(elastosis) and in

This elastosis manifests itself in the form of

.

When an alteration occurs in the collagen, it no longer retains water so easily and skin sagging or sagging occurs.

UVB

, he continues, are "what cause sunburn, which is the greatest preventable risk factor for the development of some skin cancers. The sensation of heat is produced by infrared radiation."

But there is still more: "Another radiation that reaches us is

, which has little penetration into the skin and therefore few harmful effects, although its role in the production of

, for example, is being studied."

HEALTHY TAN?

In case there is still any doubt about it at this point, Mercedes Sáenz de Santa María, a specialist in Aesthetic Medicine at CDI, emphasizes that "

, of which solar radiation is undoubtedly the most important (also diet, stress, lifestyle, pollution...) UVA, UVB, infrared, visible light... all they produce an accelerated aging of our skin that translates into an increase in spots, deep wrinkles, flaccidity, loss of collagen and elastin".

What are the first symptoms that we are going too far?

Dr. Ramírez Bellver details them: "

(redness) is the first sign that the exposure is being excessive or, at least, it is indicative that we are not properly protected. The erythema would be followed by sunburn, which is already It will produce "permanent" changes that can take their toll in the following years, in the form of spots, redness and, in the worst case, some

".

So how should we sunbathe healthily (if at all)?

"

. It must be said clearly and emphatically. We must be very clear about that (except with the use of cream self-tanners). That is why we doctors insist so much on the use of sunscreens," says the doctor Saenz de Santamaria.

Use photoprotectors (minimum SPF 30) and, as Dr. Ramírez Bellver reminds us, "don't forget

(caps, hats, t-shirts, sunglasses...) and avoid prolonged exposure between 12-4 p.m. hours".

can also be useful

: yes, always as a complement and never as a substitute for physical photoprotection, since they can help to repair the damage caused by UV radiation more quickly".

The

does not strain.

"We must bear in mind that the solar stimulus necessary for our skin to synthesize this

is the equivalent of

. Sunscreens, no matter how well applied they are, they never reach total sun protection. They are usually around 93-96%, and, normally, we do not apply them to absolutely the entire exposed body surface. That is why, despite the fact that we use sun protection, we are going to have the sufficient stimulus to synthesize vitamin D.

The bad news in all of this is that

It will be possible to treat those alterations that appear (such as, for example, resorting to laser for stains, hyaluronic acid...).

The good news is that

by applying daily - throughout the year - a sunscreen adapted to each skin type and remembering the recommendations of the experts.

Let's take note...

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