Skincare
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are young. As we get older, UV damage becomes more obvious as the skin is unable to recover at the required rate and the signs of ageing appear.
23. Every time you move out in the sun, you add a little cumulative damage to the supportive network of the skin’s elastic fibres, which give your skin its resilience and bounce. This degenerative oxidative sun damage is what is called premature ageing or photo ageing in contrast to intrinsic ageing which takes place as one advances in years.
24. Sunlight is not all bad. The beneficial effect of sunlight is the formation of vitamin D from provitamin contained in the skin fat. Sunlight reduces the susceptibility to infections. Also when the skin is exposed to the sun, there is an immediate darkening of the skin which is due to darkening of preformed melanin pigment, called suntan, on the skin’s upper layers. Occasional tanning lasts only for a few hours. However, intermittent continued exposure for a period of one or two weeks will result in the formation of new melanin which causes tanning along with the thickening of the skin epidermis. Hence increased melanin (tanning) and epidermal thickening are the two skin’s defence mechanisms against the burning UVB rays since the skin pigment absorbs some of UVB rays.
25. However, brief but acute overexposure to the culprit, intense UV rays in sunlight, causes erythema (redness) and sunburn, with symptoms of mild irritation to serious inflammation. Sunburn is reddened skin, which is painful, hot to the touch and if severe can be blistered or swollen. Each individual tends to vary in the amount of overexposure it takes before experiencing sunburn. Sunburn may not appear right away. It may take an hour or up to a day for a sunburn to appear on the skin. Sometimes sunburn is not noticed until the skin is touched. Someone who has severe sunburn may experience chills, weakness or fainting. Fair skinned persons may peel several days after receiving sunburn. The skin may look dry and be very itchy just before peeling. Apply lotion over affected skin areas to relieve the itch and aid in healing.
26. Medical science has proved beyond doubt that the overexposure to the sun damages the facial tissue that not only accelerates the visible signs of ageing, but also causes distinct irreversible skin damage. The excessive sunshine also causes blemishes like freckles, dark ageing spots, especially on the face, chest and hands as well as mottled discolouration in sun-exposed areas. Today’s tan is tomorrow’s
