It is officially summer! It is my favorite time to be outdoors hiking and enjoying the colorful flowers in full bloom. I love being able to step outside and just breathe the fresh air. Summer is also bikini season, a good time to hit the beaches and get tanned. I wanted to remind everyone that as beautiful as the days are, it is important to protect the skin you’re in.

Tanning: A nice tan can give you a glow, and let’s face it, it looks good! But something you should know is that a nice suntan does not prevent sun damage, it is sun damage. While tanning the UV rays penetrate your skin and damage your pigment cells – with every tan and burn your skin becomes more damaged. The effects of this are cumulative.

Sunburn: You can fry your skin in a matter of hours, and unfortunately there is no actual cure for a sunburn. Bad sun reactions could be anything from pain, swelling, blistering and may even cause nausea, fever and chills – a cold compress and lotions my provide temporary relief, but if you do have a bad burn be sure to see a dermatologist.

Eye damage: The sun can cause cataracts (one of the leading causes of blindness)

Premature wrinkling: Without sufficient protection against the sun (hats, visors, sunscreens) your skin will loose its elasticity and begin to sag and deep wrinkles will begin to appear. Spotting may also occur – any spots that are red, yellow, town or has a scaly appearance may be early stages of skin cancer.

Skin cancer: This is caused by long-term damage and bad sunburns – nearly 90% of all skin cancers occur on body parts which have been exposed to the sun – like the nose, ears, neck, hands, arms, etc… 

Of course, not ALL sun exposure is dangerous. Here is a link to a previous Beauty Muths & Musings post – http://lovelydiahearst.com/?p=931