The most important thing we can do to preserve our skins is to protect them from the sun. Over 90 per cent of the changes (such as wrinkling, roughness, blotchiness, looseness and broken capillaries) that we generally blame on ageing are largely due to sun damage, which for most of us starts in childhood. If you look at the well-preserved complexions of older people who spent most of their lives far from the equator, you’ll be convinced that this is true.
The bronzed Aussie image is ‘out’. A large proportion of Australians have fair skins that are quite unsuited to our fierce sunlight. Overexposure to the sun not only causes the cosmetic changes of premature ageing but can also lead to skin cancer, which is a greater problem in Australia than in any other country.
Sun protection
For the most effective protection, heed the following suggestions.
• Stay out of the sun between 11.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. (10.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. where there’s no daylight saving).
• Wear broad-spectrum SPF 15+ sunscreen (which should be applied at least half an hour before you go outside) on all uncovered skin.
• You must reapply sunscreen after swimming or if you’re sweating a lot.
Dermatologists recommend that these rules be followed by all Australians all уear round, starting from infancy (though it’s never too late to start). It’s a good ha to apply sunscreen when you get dress each morning, even if it’s overcast; t sun’s damaging rays can penetrate cloud. However, using a sunscreen doesn’t me that you can spend more time in the sun.
There is no doubt that damage to skin by sunlight can be reduced by use maximum protection sunscreens. Also, there is now evidence that sun protection may allow some repair and recovery of sun-damaged skin. You can get sun screens in non-sticky and non-greasy lotions and creams, so make-up can go on top. Opaque make-up adds to sun protection. One of the best things you can do for your children is to make sure that sun protection, especially wearing hats and daily use of sunscreen, is a part of their lives from the earliest age.
The ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ campaign of the past few years has had some impact, but you can still see people stretched out or the beach in full sun in the middle of the
ay. I’m always tempted to warn sunbakers of the risk they’re taking, though I don’t think I’d get any thanks. There’s no safe way to get a tan, and there’s no such thing as a ‘healthy tan’. Tanning is the skin’s reaction to sun damage. The deeper the tan, the greater the damage. Intentional tanning, whether by direct sunlight or in tanning parlours, is unwise.
*27/31/5*
