B次元官网网址淭he phrase B次元官网网址榟ealthy tanB次元官网网址� is an oxymoron,B次元官网网址� says Dr. Harvey Lui. B次元官网网址淎 tan is a sign that youB次元官网网址檝e damaged your skin. Your body responds to that injury with a tan as a way of repairing the skin.B次元官网网址�

LuiB次元官网网址攁 medical dermatologist with the BC Cancer Agency and a professor of dermatology and skin science at UBCB次元官网网址攕ays that there are several myths about staying safe in the sun, one of which is that if you get a sunburn at the beginning of the summer season, you will then tan and be okay; hence his caution that there is no such thing as a healthy tan. B次元官网网址淎 sunburn is natureB次元官网网址檚 warning that you shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be doing this.B次元官网网址�

Another myth is that if the sky is cloudy, the weakened sunlight will not be damaging to your skin. B次元官网网址淭here is a significant amount of UV [ultraviolet] rays still reaching the earth. And if itB次元官网网址檚 cold, people might let their guard down. If itB次元官网网址檚 sunny but cold thereB次元官网网址檚 still a risk, because itB次元官网网址檚 the invisible UV rays damaging the skin, not the heat.B次元官网网址�

Lui says that it takes decades for skin cancer to develop, and that the damage starts in childhood. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really important for people to realize that research is showing that the risk of developing melanoma [a malignant tumour] correlates with the sun you got early in life.

B次元官网网址淲ith early sun exposure, such as a few bad burns or tanning, the cells get damaged. It takes decades for the cancer to develop, so parents need to protect their children. Even if everyone started practising good sun prevention today, we would still be seeing an increase in skin cancer for the next 20 to 40 years.B次元官网网址�

Being in or around water during summerB次元官网网址攚hether it be a pool, lake, river, or oceanB次元官网网址攎eans people need to take extra precautions to keep their skin safe. B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e by a pool, say, on a sunny day youB次元官网网址檙e getting lots of sun on your skin, and you could also be getting a reflected dose of light off the water.B次元官网网址�

Anyone going in the water needs to apply sunscreen before they do so. B次元官网网址淭he sunB次元官网网址檚 rays can penetrate the water, and when your head is above the water youB次元官网网址檙e getting the sun plus a reflection from the water.B次元官网网址� Sunscreen also needs to be reapplied when you come out of the water.

When it comes to sunscreen, Lui says a common error is not applying enough. B次元官网网址淧eople often use only a quarter or half as much as they need.B次元官网网址� And while people are pretty good about applying sunscreen to their face, they often forget to put it on their ears, behind their ears, and on the back of their neck.

He recommends that people look for a sunscreen with an SPF [sun protection factor] of 30 or higher. B次元官网网址淭hirty is the bare minimum; as high as 50 or 60 is even better. ItB次元官网网址檚 not more expensive.B次元官网网址�

People should also ensure that the sunscreen is a broad spectrum one, covering UVA and UVB rays, and should look for the logo of the Canadian Dermatology Association. B次元官网网址淭hey have reviewed all sunscreens, and feel these ones are effective.B次元官网网址�

He adds that any sunscreen that is labelled as being specifically for children is a marketing thing, nothing more. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no such thing as sunscreen for children. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no difference. The same sunscreen can be used by everyone in the family.B次元官网网址�

Lui also cautions against buying spray-on sunscreen. B次元官网网址淪unscreen in a spray bottle is convenient, but itB次元官网网址檚 very expensive, because youB次元官网网址檙e just spraying a lot of it into the air.B次元官网网址�

He adds that while some people get anxious about using sunscreen (B次元官网网址淭hey worry about putting chemicals on their skinB次元官网网址�), and acknowledges there is a theoretical concern that these materials might cause damage, a person would have to apply gallons of sunscreen to theoretically absorb trace elements of chemicals.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 wiser to protect your skin than to avoid sunscreen.B次元官网网址� He notes that sun greatly accelerates the aging process, and increases wrinkles later in life. B次元官网网址淚 tell people next time theyB次元官网网址檙e in front of a mirror to look at their face and then look at their bum. TheyB次元官网网址檙e both the same age, but you donB次元官网网址檛 get wrinkles on your bum, because it doesnB次元官网网址檛 get exposed to the sun.B次元官网网址�

Since the sunB次元官网网址檚 rays are strongest between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Lui advises people to try to stay out of the sun during those hours. B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e a gardener, the nicest time to garden is early in the morning or in the evening. ItB次元官网网址檚 much safer and cooler.B次元官网网址� Gardeners should wear a broad-brimmed hat with a brim as wide as their palm extending all around it. B次元官网网址淏aseball caps are cool, but they were designed to help a baseball player see better in sunlight, not protect him from the sun.B次元官网网址�

Since gardeners are often looking down, they need to apply sunscreen to their ears and neck. Hikers need to pay attention to these areas as well, especially if they are walking with their back to the sun.

Another myth about exposure to the sun surrounds Vitamin D. B次元官网网址淪unlight helps make Vitamin D, but Vitamin D is also available through your diet or in supplements. And people think B次元官网网址業f some sun is good for Vitamin D, a lot of sun must be better.B次元官网网址� Vitamin D comes in tinted bottles to protect it from the light. Extra Vitamin D is degraded by sunlight, and you will accumulate DNA damage and have a higher risk of skin cancer.B次元官网网址�

While some clothing is marketed as being designed to protect the skin from sun exposure, Lui says itB次元官网网址檚 fine to buy less-expensive clothing that has a nice tight weave.

B次元官网网址淭he simple rule of thumb is to hold the material up to the light and make sure none gets through. Jeans are a good example; no one gets a tan through jeans.

B次元官网网址淪imple things are fine. And common sense is the cheapest thing around.B次元官网网址�