No matter how hot the sun can feel on the body, it can also damage the skin. Most people know that – but not everyone takes it seriously, we are to believe the experts we have spoken to. They often hear misunderstandings and myths about the sun and tanning, and now give an introduction to what is true and what is not. Miray Al-Mustafa Dermatologist in Aleris. Qualified doctor with skin specialization from Rikshospitalet/Oslo University Hospital and Førde Central Hospital. Marianne Fjørtoft Co-owner and head of department Cosmedica AS, a Norwegian company behind Elixir Cosmeceuticals. Qualified dermatologist at the French School of Cosmetology. “You don’t need sunscreen when it’s cloudy” If you’re more than average about skin care, you’ve got the hottest tip from industry experts and beauty influencers. Use sun protection. Weekday. All year. Although many have tried to dispel the myth that sunscreen is only needed when you actively go in to sunbathe, there are still many who misunderstand, says Miray Al-Mustafa: – It is a common misconception that you only wear sunscreen when you is out in the sun. What the sun emits are ultraviolet rays. But what is the difference between UVA and UVB? A very simplified rule of thumb is that a stands for aging and b stands for burnt. When it is cloudy, there is a very low risk of sunburn. – The UVB rays become less harmful and do not promote sunburn to the same extent when it is cloudy, says Marianne Fjørtoft. So you don’t need sunscreen to avoid turning red like a lobster. But the UVA rays damage in another way. They penetrate both clouds and rain, go deeper into the skin and promote aging and skin cancer. According to Fjørtoft, they are just as harmful when it is cloudy. Do you use sunscreen on your face every day? Yes! All year. No, only when it’s sunny. Never use sunscreen. Show result “Sunscreen is unnecessary if you are going to sit inside or in a car” Are you going on a car holiday? Maybe you work this summer, and sit by the window in the office and squint at the sun peeking in? Then you will not be exposed to the sun’s UVB rays. But just like with clouds and rain, the UVA rays penetrate the window. How exposed you are depends on the type of window, explains Fjørtoft: – The front window of a car has better UV protection than a side window. It is recommended to use sun protection if you spend a lot of time in front of a window during the day. An American delivery driver is living proof. The man was presented in a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. During 28 years on the roads, the face had become very asymmetrical. The left half was significantly more wrinkled, thick and flabby. Clinical examinations and skin analyzes showed severe UV damage in half of the face. You can see for yourself: The man was 69 years old in this picture. Photo: The New England Journal of Medicine Had the man used sunscreen? No. “You get tan faster without sunscreen” Planning to get that fresh, golden tan this summer? No matter how impatient you may be, you are doing yourself a huge disservice if you ditch the sun cream, Fjørtoft emphasizes: – You will burn more quickly without sun protection factor. The tan comes gradually when you are exposed to the sun. – When the skin cells are exposed to sunlight, they tell the melanocytes, the pigment in the skin, to protect the skin by producing more color. The more sunlight we get over time, the more dye is produced. The brown color is the result of the skin protecting itself from damage. Perhaps you have experienced that the first day on holiday in the south has not made you tan, but pink or red? – The skin cells have not had time to produce enough dye to protect us from the sun, explains Fjørtoft. It’s not only when the weather is like this that you need sun protection, Marianne Fjørtoft reminds us. “It is good to use a solarium to prepare the skin for the summer sun” Another common misconception, according to Miray Al-Mustafa. – Under no circumstances is it necessary to use a solarium. The only way to prepare the skin for the summer sun is to wear sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat or cap, and preferably some shade, she states. Even if you haven’t been burned, the tan is a sign of DNA damage. – This means poorer quality of the skin, wrinkles, fragile vessels in the skin, pigment spots and an increased risk of skin cancer, says the dermatologist. Do you use tanning beds? Yes, often! Now and then. Did it before but never now anymore. Never sunbathe! Show result “Taking a solarium is not so harmful to your health. If it really was, solariums would have been illegal in Norway” – It is not illegal to smoke, but it is still harmful to health. There is no doubt about how harmful tanning bed use is, says Al-Mustafa. A study from the University of Oslo confirms this. Researchers followed 141,000 Norwegian women for an average of 14 years. Those who had sunbathed in a solarium more than 30 times had a more than 30 per cent increased risk of mole cancer. – It can also increase the risk of developing other types of skin cancer, says Al-Mustafa. “People without moles do not get mole cancer” – Unfortunately, that is not true, says Al-Mustafa. Some of us have many moles, others very few. – 3 per cent of cases of mole cancer are what we call “melanomas of unknown primary”. That is, mole cancer found after spreading. You don’t know where they started on the body, says the dermatologist. Mole cancer can occur in the nails, eyes and mucous membranes. Moreover, they can be without pigment, and thus difficult to see. “You can tolerate the sun better with beta-carotene” Beta-carotene is a yellow and red dye found in many plants. It can be converted into vitamin A in the body, and is used in dietary supplements. These are marketed as making you tan from the inside, providing a deep and lasting tan and maintaining healthy skin. – Since beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, it will help to strengthen the immune system. But it will not protect against sun damage, says Fjørtoft. Carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach and papaya are particularly rich in beta-carotene. Miray Al-Mustafa confirms that the substance protects against sunburn, but recommends a varied and healthy diet rather than supplements. – Taking beta-carotene supplements for periods to get more golden skin is better than sunbathing anyway, she adds. American researchers recently made a strong recommendation for people who smoke or are ill not to take beta-carotene. They went through several studies and found that beta-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer and makes patients sicker. “It’s only when you get burnt that the skin gets damaged” Being in the sun too much will eventually promote damage to the skin – no matter how good you are at avoiding sunburn. That’s what Marianne Fjørtoft says. Here, it is important to think long-term: – Most sun damage does not appear until we get older. Skin cells remember all damage, and it propagates over time. This is why many people experience that they suddenly get pigment changes, burst blood vessels, wrinkles or rougher and less elastic skin. Are you one of those who have been too sloppy and uninformed about sun damage? It’s better to get good routines now than never, encourages Fjørtoft: – In the same way that it’s never too late to start training, it’s never too late to improve your sun habits. Out to buy sunscreen? Please read this first:
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Sunburnt? Here are 8 myths about the sun, sunscreen, skin cancer and solariums – news Trøndelag
