Orange warning! It’s not too late for those who use sunscreen to know this →

Compiled by: Gong Zixin

Not long ago

The painful experience of the orange warning series

Still fresh in my memory

now

The heat wave is back again...

In addition to preventing heatstroke

Sun protection is also a top priority

Do you know how terrible it is to be exposed to UV radiation?

Ultraviolet A with a longer wavelength

Can reach below the skin

Causes premature skin aging

Shorter wavelength UVB

Affects the outermost layer of the skin

Causes sunburn and tanning

The third type of ray - ultraviolet C

Intercepted by the ozone layer that protects the Earth

UVA and UVB

can cause DNA mutations in skin cells

These mutations accumulate over time.

Causes tumor growth

The American Skin Cancer Foundation

The more UV exposure

The greater the risk of skin cancer

What is the sunscreen savior?

——It must be sunscreen!

Sunscreen can be used in two ways

Protect your skin from these malignancies:

Chemical sunscreen

Contains ingredients that absorb UV rays, such as avobenzone

Physical sunscreen

Rely on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide

To block or reflect light

No matter what

Blocks solar radiation from penetrating the skin and damaging DNA

However

About Sun Protection and Sunscreen

The following misunderstandings

How many did you win?

01

As long as you don't get sunburned, you're safe.

the truth:

It's not just sunburn that puts your skin at risk. Dr. Henry Lim, a photodermatologist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, said exposure to UV rays can damage the DNA of unprotected skin, and the effects are cumulative, even if your skin looks normal to the naked eye.

"Every time the skin is exposed to the sun, whether or not there is a sunburn reaction, there is some skin damage that needs to be repaired. If this subclinical damage persists long enough, the skin's ability to repair all the DNA damage is compromised."

02

The body needs vitamin D, and sunscreen blocks it.

the truth:

Only a small amount of sunlight exposure is needed to produce the vitamin D your body needs. One study suggests that 5 to 10 minutes of sun exposure 2 to 3 times a week on the face, arms, and legs during the summer is enough to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D.

Even with sunscreen, you'll still get minimal sun exposure, Lim said. "When using sunscreen, we often don't apply enough." People concerned about their vitamin D levels should protect their skin and seek out nutrients from food or take supplements, advises Anne Chapas, MD, a clinical instructor in dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

03

Chemicals in sunscreen can cause cancer.

the truth:

The active ingredients in sunscreens sold are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and are deemed safe and effective. The National Academy of Sciences states that sunscreen use is not associated with higher rates of any type of cancer. In fact, quite the opposite, Chapas said: "If you don't want to get cancer, wear sunscreen."

04

No sun protection is needed when the UV index is very low.

the truth:

The UV index primarily measures medium-wave UVB rays, which Lim calls the "sunburn spectrum." Even if the UVB is low, you still need to protect yourself from UVA rays. "As long as there's light outside, there's enough long-wave UVB to induce tanning, create wrinkles, and increase your risk of skin cancer."

Chapas agrees: "Even on a cloudy day, about 80 percent of the sun's rays get through and you can still get sun damage."

05

Dark skin doesn't need sunscreen.

the truth:

Anyone of any skin color can get skin cancer from sun damage. In fact, "skin cancer in patients with darker skin tones is often diagnosed at a later stage, when it is more difficult to treat," said Dr. Seemal Desai, president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Because dark skin is more susceptible to melanin production when exposed to the sun, dark skin is more susceptible to discoloration than light skin, Chapas said.

06

Physical sunscreens are safer than chemical sunscreens.

the truth:

Both sunscreens are safe to use, but physical sunscreens have fewer unknowns because they are not absorbed into the skin, Lim said.

Chapas says this is one of the reasons she likes physical sunscreens, along with their versatility, since they can be worn over makeup or moisturizer. “The challenge is that some of these formulas have a white cast, so you have to find a formula that works with your skin tone.”

07

A tan protects your skin from sunburn.

the truth:

A tan provides a little bit of protection, but not enough to make sunscreen unnecessary. Besides, a tan is itself a sign of sunburn.

When the skin is exposed to UV rays, it stimulates the production of melanin to prevent more UV rays from entering the skin and damaging the underlying skin cells. Tanning is not good for health, and tanning is actually the body's attempt to protect itself.

08

The antioxidant astaxanthin acts as an “internal sunscreen.”

the truth:

Antioxidants work in two ways to reduce biological damage from sun exposure: Antioxidants can help reduce oxidative damage to DNA, which is when UVA rays harm it. Also, when visible light interacts with the skin, it causes cells to produce damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species, a process antioxidants can help counteract.

It makes sense to add antioxidants to a sun protection regimen, but they can't work on their own. "There's nothing that's going to be as effective as sunscreen," Chapas said.

09

Chemicals in sunscreen enter your bloodstream and build up over time.

the truth:

There have been no long-term studies on the blood of regular sunscreen users, so there's no data to prove this is true or false. However, the chemicals are excreted in the urine, suggesting they don't linger in the body, Lim said. "People who are wary of chemical sunscreens can opt for physical sunscreens."

10

Wearing a good hat can prevent sunburn.

the truth:

A wide-brimmed hat can definitely help protect you from the sun, especially if you have baldness or thinning hair.

However, hats only block UV rays from above. Without sunscreen, you're still vulnerable to rays that reflect off urban surfaces like water, sand, or pavement and hit your skin from below. That's why you need sunscreen even when you're in the shade.

Sunscreen, put it on!