Prolonged exposure to the sun, without protection, can be dangerous. Health professionals strongly recommend the application of sunscreen on the entire body. But does its use really prevent tanning?
For many people, summer rhymes with sunbathing. At the beach, at the swimming pool, or even playing sports, any opportunity is good to grab to enjoy the sun.
Problem: if the minimum risk is a sunburn, it is also possible to undergo heavier consequences, such as an aging of the skin, even skin cancer. So to avoid these risks as much as possible, health professionals advise the application of sunscreen, in the event of sun exposure.
“No sunscreen provides 100%protection”
Only one condition allows you to sunbathe: the sun. Indeed, its ultraviolet rays act on skin cells, decreasing melanin. The latter will allow you to color the skin.
By applying a sunscreen, the penetration of UV rays is limited. The protection rate varies depending on the indices registered on solar creams. With index 20, the least effective, only 5% of the shelves are not filtered. For protection 50, the percentage drops to 1.33%.
For better efficiency, it takes an index 50 sunscreen, but a simple application is not sufficient. It is necessary to apply it regularly and in sufficient quantity. Health professionals also recommend not hesitating to put it back in case of perspiration or swimming, although certain solar creams are water resistant.
Questioned by our colleagues from Midi Libre, the dermatologist Roland Viraben answered the question without language that many people ask. “Sun cream has the same role as if we put clothes. It cuts ultraviolet rays more or less (depending on the index). We bronze a little because no sunscreen ensures 100%protection, but we bronze less, “he said clearly.
To avoid the harmful consequences of the sun, it is advisable not to expose themselves when the mercury is at its zenith, that is to say from noon to 4 p.m., since it is at this moment that UV rays are the most powerful and dangerous for the skin.
Another indication, in addition to protecting yourself by sunscreen, is important to dress accordingly. Dermatologist Roland Viraben advocates wearing “relatively heavy” clothes, worn “tightly” and “relatively dark”. Clear clothes protect heat, but not the sun.