Most of us know that in summer time sunscreen is important to avoid sunburn and damage but often neglect to wear sunscreen during other weather seasons or indoors, which does irreparable damage to the skin.
In an interview with Swasthya Sambad, Dr Asim Das, Consultant Dermatologist and STD, asserted that sunscreen should be a part of your round preventive skin care measure and knowing what type to buy and how to apply sunscreen is the key to preventing many skin issues such as –
· Skin cancer: Ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause the skin cells to malfunction and lead to skin cancer. Using sunscreen reduces exposure to ultraviolet rays and cuts the risk of getting skin cancer to half.
· Photoaging: UV rays cause the skin texture to change to thick, leathery look that is discoloured. UV rays also cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin leading to lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and sagging skin. People who use sunscreen correctly every day have 24% less chances of developing signs of ageing than those who don’t.
- Sun rays can still penetrate the clouds and therefore it is not ok to void sunscreen on an overcast day.
- Snow reflects 80% of the harmful UV rays and thus increases the chance of sun damage. The higher the altitude the more is the exposure.
- You need to apply sunscreen every day even if your skin is dark.
- Sunscreens need to be reapplied very 2-3 hours. Chemical sunscreen wears off or sweat off quickly.
