Summer’s almost upon us and undoubtedly the sun makes us all feel good. Holidays, picnics, long evenings in the garden…. But when it comes to looking good it’s unfortunately a different story.
The number one cause of premature skin ageing is not smoking and not genetics, but exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Whilst having a sun tan may look great at the time, it can actually accelerate the ageing process, not to mention increase your risk of developing skin cancer, particularly if you have fair skin or have a history of sunburn.
Thankfully, today, most of us know something about the dangers of too much sun exposure and slap on the sunscreen on holiday. Yet it’s a common misconception that you only need to protect your skin when it’s hot. It isn’t the actual heat that burns your skin but the damaging UVA and UVB rays from the sunlight, so anytime you go outside (cloudy or sunny) you’re exposing yourself.
In an ideal world, everyone should protect their skin with an SPF 30+ at all times, but what does that mean?
Sunscreens essentially work as filters, reflecting UV radiation off the skin. The SPF (of a product) stands for its Sun Protection Factor. SPFs are rated on a scale of 2 – 50+, with the lower numbers offering the least protection and the ratings of 50+ providing the highest barrier against the sun’s powerful rays.
| SPF | |
| Low protection | 6 to 14 (i.e. SPF 6 and 10) |
| Medium protection | 15 to 29 (i.e. SPF 15, 20 and 25) |
| High protection | 30 to 50 (i.e. SPF 30 and 50) |
| Very high protection | 50 + (i.e. SPF 50+) |
Nobody wants to spend the summer indoors and some sun exposure (below burn level) can be good for us, as it allows the body to get the Vitamin D it needs and helps to boost our overall wellbeing. But it’s a matter of being careful: apply the sunscreen, wear a hat and spend sometime in the shade.
How do I know if my skin has been damaged and how can I correct it?
At health + aesthetics we have invested in a state of the art Visia Machine, which captures detailed 3D images of your skin, so that we can analyse its health and vitality. It will also identify problems hidden beneath the surface of the skin before they become visible. So it can simulate the ageing process and you can see what lies ahead. Most importantly, by being able to detect areas of sun damage, ageing, skin tone and texture changes, we can recommend skincare regimens, products and treatments that will help to rejuvenate and repair. Think of it as an early warning.
Back to Articles