Harmful effects of sunlight and UV on skin

Day by day prolonged exposure to sunlight is causing slow but steady damage to skin. The earth’s atmosphere absorbs UV C wavelengths but the real concern comes up with UV B and UV A which are not absorbed by the atmosphere. UVB rays have a much greater harmful effect on skin contributing to the increased production of cancer cells of skin. UV A increases the damaging effect of UVB, inducing skin cancer and cataracts.

The sun rays are strongest between 10 am and 4 pm. In this , a small exposure to sun is good as it produces vitamin D, which in turn helps in absorption of calcium helping to build bone health.

According to WHO, UV rays help in treating some health conditions like eczema, psoriasis, rickets or jaundice. UV rays are also used to disinfect or sterilize equipment in hospitals.

But here anyway too much exposure may lead to :

● Skin changes– bump formation on skin, freckles, over the time causing cancer.
● Early aging, over time it makes the skin wrinkled and leathery..
● Lowered immunity
● Eye related problems such as cataract and other retinal damage like
pterygium (tissue growth that can block vision) , degeneration of the
macula, etc. due to prolonged exposure to sunlight.
● Skin cancer- Most skin cancers are melanoma, which is common in
adults. It is treatable at early stages, but skin cancers can spread further if
not diagnosed before time.
● Outer layer of the skin, the epidermis is affected along with the
underlying layer of dermis containing melanin. Melanin provides
pigmentation to skin and hair and also protects the underlying superficial
blood vessels and nerves in our skin. It also helps produce vitamin D. On
increased exposure to sun rays , melanin in its defense, produces tan
which defends the skin against the adverse effects such as sunburns, boils
and allergies. Sunburn causes the skin layers to die and prolonged
exposure causes cancer cells to develop.

Some early signs mentioning the harms caused to the skin :-

● Dull skin
● Wrinkles
● Loose skin
● Extra fat deposition in the chin area.

Precautions:-

● Minimise exposure to sun especially when the sunlight is at its peak, as
maximum damage occurs during this time.
● Cover the skin properly throughout during travels through the sun. Staying under shade or travelling through an umbrella helps in avoiding direct exposure and will protect your skin best from the direct rays.
● Make sunscreen a must routine to be inculcated during the exposure to sun rays. The importance of sunscreen and gels is even more due to the deterioration of the ozone layer which protects us from all types of UV rays. SPF – sun protection factor decides majorly the level of protection being provided to the skin throughout the exposure to sunlight. And with increased sunlight exposure it is advised to increase the amount of SPF. All the covered areas under clothes still require a certain level of protection of SPF 30 or more. The face and neck region might require
SPF 50 or SPF 60 sunscreen to protect from damage.
● Wear sunglasses during peak hours for protection against any eye related problems as mentioned above.
● Wear comfortable cotton clothes especially during summers as it will keep the body cool .Also, light colored clothes are bad absorbers of sun rays, preferring light colored clothes will prevent sunburns and tanning.
● Keep the body completely hydrated. As much as the sun affects the skin, it also affects the body internally by excessive sweating which increases dehydration.
● Keep all the minerals in check to compensate for all the loss occurred during the day to allow the body to function properly.
● Constantly monitor the vitals to make sure the body’s homeostasis is functioning properly.

Care:-

• Incase of continued damage with the sun, the skin will show prolonged reaction with skin like rashes, burns and boils.
• To decrease or nullify the side effects, the most effective form of relaxing product to be applied is aloe vera gel to the area of burn and boils.
• Aloe vera gel continues to ease out the tender and warm surface of skin by providing a cooling effect to the affected area.
• Calamine lotion and ointment helps in cases of minor boils and rashes by reducing inflammation.
• Under cases of major boils and ruptured capillaries, consultation with a medical practitioner is a must to avoid any major problems associated with the symptoms.

For more such articles, keep visiting our website. For any query or suggestion, comment down below.

– Eshita ojha ( MBBS, RDJM )

Editor – Mili Chourasiya ( MBBS, JLNMCH & Social Media Manager, MCD )