Protect your skin

{UVB rays permeate the upper layers of the skin, damaging cells and causing burning and blistering. Langerhans cells These cells are part of the immune system and fight off infection. Exposure to the sun can cause damage to the cells contributing to the risk of skin cancer. UVA rays can penetrate deep into the layers of the skin and damage the dermis, which can cause the skin to lose its elasticity.}

Sunburn occurs when people spend too much time in the sun or under sun lamps. Sunburn makes the skin red, sore and blistered and can often cause sickness and fever. Continued over-exposure to the sun not only ages the skin prematurely, but can also cause skin cancer. The sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface includes two kinds of invisible ultraviolet light, called A and B. UVA rays are deeply penetrating and remain relatively constant all year round. UVB rays penetrate less deeply, but are the ones that cause sunburn. They are at their highest levels in the summer and, like UVA, cause skin cancer.

It is important to protect the skin and eyes from both UVA and UVB rays. Symptoms of sunburn Initially, there may be no sign that your skin is burning except for a slight pinkness to the skin. Several hours after the exposure you may start to complain that your skin feels hot. and painful. The skin may feel itchy and tight; and look red and burnt.

How to protect yourself from the sun. Some people are more sensitive than others to the sunlight, especially those with fair skin. Following these guidelines will help you to ensure you are protected in the sunshine.

# The sun is at its hottest between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., so seek shade or keep yourself covered up during this time.

# Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of more than 25, half an hour before going out in the sun.

# Use sunblock on your skin especially on parts that are likely to burn, e.g. the nose, ears and shoulders.

# Cover yourself in clothing made of tightly woven fabrics that will both absorb and reflect the suns harmful rays.

# Make sure that you wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your ears, neck , face and head.

# wear sunglasses, which filter out both UVA and UVB light.

# Do not assume that because it is cloudy you are safe from sunlight(80 percent of ultraviolet light will get through the clouds)

FACTORS THAT MAKE THE SUN MORE DANGEROUS

• Skin moles: people with moles are more at risk of getting skin cancer, especially malignant melanoma. You should, therefore, be particularly careful in the sun.

• Sweat or water on the skin: any kind of liquid on the skin will not only reduce the effectiveness of a sunscreen lotion, it will attract more sunlight, which will make the skin more vulnerable.

• Water, sand, wind, snow and pavements: these all increase the sun's strength by reflecting the rays, therefore doubling its strength.

• CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons): these are chemical emitted by machines such as refrigerators, and used in various aerosols and solvents. They increase the destruction of the ozone layer, allowing more UV rays on to the Earth's surface.

• The angle of the sun: this applies only if you are at the equator where the sun's rays are a lot stronger.

• Altitude: the higher you are, the thinner the atmosphere, therefore the greater the exposure to both UVA and UVB rays.

Long term effects of sunburn on the skin

• Reduced immunity: over-exposure to ultraviolet rays may affect the body's immune system in the long term.

• Premature ageing: the sun can have a ravaging effect on skin. It causes pre-malignant skin changes called solar keratoses.

• Skin cancers: three types of skin cancer are directly linked with sun exposure. These occur mainly in the 50-60 age group, but, particularly with malignant melanoma, young people are affected. Malignant melanoma may be linked to one or two episodes of blistering sunburn in our youth, which sensitize the skin, leading to melanoma.