Going through aisles of sun care products, you probably noticed that
many offer "Complete UVA/UVB protection". Why do you need to be
protected from both, and what is the difference between the two?
UVA and UVB are two types of ultraviolet rays that change physical and
chemical condition of the skin. They produce different effects, but at
the same time enhance each other's action. UVB rays are the burning
rays that cause immediate skin reaction - redness and swelling that you
see within hours of sun exposure. As you look at yourself in the
mirror, you are not likely to think of your sun kissed skin in these
terms. It definitely looks better now that there is a glow to it and
wrinkles seem to be less visible. But the look is deceiving. The glow
is caused by increased blood flow to the skin as a rescue response to
repair the damage, and wrinkles are less visible because your skin has
just suffered an injury and is puffed. UVB rays are responsible for
skin cancer and cataract.
UVA rays stimulate production of melanin, the skin pigment. Melanin is
formed in deeper skin layers and reaches the surface in two-three days.
This is when you see that you got tan. Unfortunately, there is little
to be proud about, as tanning is what your body does to protect itself
from the sun. It is a reaction to potentially dangerous conditions that
you expose yourself to. If your are trying to avoid freckles, age
spots, pregnancy mask or any other type of skin discoloration, UVA rays
are your first enemy.
It is important to remember that while glass windows block UVB rays,
they do nothing to shield you form UVA rays. UVA rays were thought to
be less damaging, and common belief was that safe tanning was possible:
you block UVB and enjoy the bronzing effect of UVA rays. Wrong! Recent
research proves that UVA rays may be even more dangerous than UVB. They
reach deeper into the skin layers and contribute to photoaging and
development of melanoma, a very dangerous type of skin cancer.
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