Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Protection from Sunburn

Many people enjoy the summer fun and stay outdoors long. Don’t forget to take precautions against sunburn. Be protected with all methods listed below.


Minimize the exposure under the sun

Some people hold an umbrella to block the sunshine; some wears broad-brimmed hat instead. Don’t rely on either exclusively, thinking that you are immune from sunburn. Ultraviolet (UV) can still reach you to do harms. 

Stay in the shadow whenever you can. The place could be under a roof of foliage, the kiosk in the park, porch roof and the covered walkway, etc.

Pitch a tent next to your picnic so that you can hide from the sun during the nap or reading.

Use a beach umbrella when you are lying on the beach or in the swimming pool, or sitting for a barbecue. Don’t get your skin overtanned.

Protective clothing

Do you know that there is clothing material that can block UV? They are the sun protective clothing. In the midst of finding a good buy, consumers will come across UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor). Let’s learn more about the UV blocking capacity.

UPF rating ----- Protection category ----- % UV radiation block
UPF 15 – 24 ----- Good ----- 93.3 – 95.9
UPF 25 – 39 ----- Very good ----- 96.0 – 97.4
UPF 40 – 50+ ----- Excellent ----- 97.5 – 99+

If your clothes are not made of blocking UV material, the best you can do is to alleviate the sunburn by wearing long sleeve, full collars, full-length trousers and shorts. Surprisingly, darker colored fabrics can offer more protection than lighter colored fabrics.

Don’t forget wearing the broad-brimmed hat. If possible, wear a sunglass that can block UV to protect your cornea from opacity cornea and keratoconjunctivitis.

Also, get a towel to cover the neck. It’s good for absorbing the sweat and minimizing direct exposure under the sun.

Sunblock lotion

There are many brands in the market and the price range is wide. Be mindful that some products are particularly made for children whose skins are much tender than the adults’.

Consumers will come across two popular terms, SPF (Sun Protection Factor) and PA.

SPF measures the effectiveness of a sunscreen. 1 SF sunblock could last for successive 20 minutes. Thus, the effectiveness for SPF 30 could come up to about 600 minutes successively.

PA (The Protection Grade of UVA) system measures the UVA protection a sunscreen provides. PA+ is the double ability to resist sunblock, PA++ triple, PA+++ four times (the maximum protection level we can enjoy so far).

Sunblock can be in the form of lotion, cream, gel and spray. Read the product specification carefully and pick the most suitable one for your own protection.

Don’t be lazy and overlook the possible protections that you can get, lest you may subject to the three potential health risks that often arises after long and continuous exposure to the ultraviolet.

1)      Skin damage: lost flexibility, formation of black pigment, and skin cancer for severe case.
2)      Destruction to the immune system: lower the resistance to the bacteria and cause infectious disease easier.
3)      Eye damage: opacity cornea and keratoconjunctivitis.

Play hard and protect harder in summer. We can maximize the fun without endanger our health. Enjoy yourself safely.

Author’s note:

What fun will you get in summer? Try some beach sports to have fun and lose weight as well.

10 Summer Beach Sports for Fun and Weight Loss

Beside sunburn, you may also need some cooling tips to protect you from heatstroke. Read the article below for more details on how to resist heat.