Sunbathing on hot days is a trend all over the internet? Don’t blindly follow the trend if you don’t understand these things

What was the most exciting thing recently?

That must be the "back-showing" that is being posted all over the Internet

A lot of handsome men and women, young and old, beautiful women

All hold up the big sun

Lift up your clothes to expose your back and lie down on the ground

Come and receive the baptism of sunshine in July and August

Image source: Xiaohongshu

So many people follow suit

So what are the benefits?

Are there any side effects?

Dr. Huaxi will give you the answer

In fact, it’s just sunbathing, which definitely has benefits.

Getting a certain amount of sunlight exposure can supplement the body's vitamin D, while also promoting calcium absorption and helping maintain bone health.

Image source: Photo Network

Especially in a place like Chengdu where people post to their Moments every time they see a sunny day all year round, young people and old people alike should indeed increase their exposure to the sun.

There is another special advantage of sunbathing your back - you don’t have to worry too much about getting your face sunburned.

Image source: Photo Network

It can not only benefit the body from sunlight, but also prevent pigmentation and wrinkles on the face. Overall, it is a relatively efficient way to receive sunlight.

In addition to avoiding exposing your face to the sun as mentioned above, you should also pay attention to the time you choose to sunbathe your back.

If you want to sunbathe your back in the summer, try to choose eight or nine in the morning, or five or six in the afternoon. Do not sunbathe your back when the direct sunlight is particularly strong during the day to avoid sunburn, heatstroke, etc.

Image source: Photo Network

In addition, young people who like to sunbathe their backs should pay attention, especially young men.

It is best to cover your head when sunbathing, because the hair follicles on the scalp may aggravate hair loss after being exposed to strong sunlight.

For the sake of your already limited hairline, you must ensure proper sun protection for your head.

Sunbathing is not suitable for everyone. These types of people should not join in the fun:

● People who suffer from skin cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma or melanoma;

● People who have symptoms of photosensitivity, such as patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and dermatitis;

● People who are using some photosensitizing drugs, such as isotretinoin and minocycline, which are well-known for treating acne, may experience allergic symptoms.

In daily life, there are some foods that increase the body's photosensitivity. Eating a large amount of them and then exposing them to the sun will increase the probability of skin allergies. These foods include:

Vegetables: lettuce, fennel, amaranth, shepherd's purse, celery, radish leaves, spinach, buckwheat, coriander, safflower, rapeseed, mustard, etc.;

Fruits: lemon, fig, citrus, mango, pineapple, etc.;

Seafood: clams, snails, etc., especially mud snails.

People who need to avoid consuming this type of food are mainly those who have photosensitivity dermatitis or other photosensitivity diseases.

For ordinary people, just remember not to expose yourself to the sun if you eat too much of these foods.

Back sunning has been very popular on the Internet recently, and many unreliable rumors have also been circulated. Dr. West China University of Political Science and Law will help you clear up the mystery.

1. Is itching and tingling on the back a sign of detoxification?

Of course not. If you experience itching and tingling when sunbathing your back, it is actually a reaction to sunburn after your skin absorbs a lot of sunlight.

Image source: Photo Network

This has nothing to do with whether you are detoxifying or not. It just means that you have been exposed to the sun for too long and too hard.

So what is the appropriate degree of back sun exposure?

There is a special term in medicine called MED value, which stands for minimum erythema dose. It refers to the minimum ultraviolet dose that can cause erythema on a person's skin. When this value is reached, you should stop sun exposure.

Image source: Photo Network

The MED value varies from person to person, so different people may be able to tolerate completely different amounts of sun exposure. To put it simply, when your skin starts to turn red or develop erythema, stop sunbathing your back.

If your body has been sunburned, the stimulation of ultraviolet rays to the skin will reach its peak in the next 24 hours, causing skin itching, blisters, pigmentation and other reactions to sunburn that no one wants to encounter.

2. Do I need to wear sunscreen when sunbathing my back?

In fact, this is not necessary. A large number of sunscreen products on the market are designed to protect against UVA and UVB rays in the sun. Many of the benefits of sunlight to the body are also brought about by UVA and UVB. Therefore, applying sunscreen when sunbathing may conflict with the purpose of sunbathing.

Image source: Photo Network

If you want to reduce the damage to your skin caused by sun exposure, you just need to control the time and period of sun exposure, and be careful not to get erythema on your body.

Although sunbathing is very hot

But don't rush to follow suit.

Still have to do what you can

Go to the sun according to your physical condition

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

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References

[1] Gong Quanquan, Xie Lianke, Dong Yanjun, et al. A systematic review of the research on the influencing factors of sunburn in the population[J]. Environmental and Occupational Medicine, 2023, 40(01): 101-106.

[2] Wang Bo. Analysis of pathogenic factors and prevention and treatment strategies of photosensitive skin diseases[J]. Chinese Journal of Drugs and Clinics, 2019, 19(07): 1180-1181.

[3] Zhang Xueyi, Jin Xin, Li Li, et al. Study on the composition and effects of commonly used sunscreen products on the market[J]. Jiangsu Science and Technology Information, 2019, 36(24): 77-80.

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Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty