Beat the Burn this Summer Courtesy Skin Medica Sunglasses. Cocktails. Sundresses. Summer is the best time of year as the chill of winter gives way to sunny summer bliss. Regardless of the temperature outside, it is essential to apply sun protection every day of the year, but with summer comes the need to give your skin additional protection against the sun’s harmful rays. UV rays causes over 90 percent of skin cancer, and according to CANSA, South Africa has the second highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. Sunscreen is an important tool in the fight against skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. If that is not reason enough to guard your skin, the suns rays cause premature aging known as photoaging. Photoaging refers to the damage that is done to the skin from prolonged exposure to UV radiation over a person’s lifetime. Sun freckles, irregular pigmentation and dilated blood vessels are some examples. Other examples are fine lines, deep wrinkles and laxity from the loss of elastic fibres and healthy collagen. To understand the effects of sun damage, it’s central to recognize the role that collagen plays in healthy skin. Collagen acts as the underlying support structure that keeps your skin youthful-looking and firm. Sun exposure results in UV rays penetrating the skin’s surface resulting in abnormalities in the collagen fibre. UV light breaks down this collagen and elastin causing the skin to lose its strength and flexibility. This manifests as sagging or loose skin and causes deep wrinkles. As you age, your skin cells are unable to regenerate as quickly, making the skin more vulnerable to this kind of damage and as the skin thins due to UV exposure, these irregularities become more visible on the skin’s surface. UV rays can also stimulate the over production of melanin leading to hyperpigmentation and sunspots. Sun exposure increases dark brown pigment (melanin) in order to protect the skin against the harmful UV rays. This manifests as dark spots or patches that form over the skin or present uneven skin tone. Sun exposure can furthermore cause a permanent stretching of small blood vessels, giving the skin a mottled, reddish appearance. Your primary weapon in the treatment of photoaging is of course prevention through good sun protection. If you’re taking steps to eliminate pigment concerns, sun protection is even more important. Adequate SPF minimizes the skin’s exposure to cancer- and wrinkle-causing UV radiation. It is, however, important to identify the right kind of sunscreen to combat both sunburn and photoaging. Sunscreen that says it is broad spectrum protects against both UVA and UVB rays. If your sunscreen is over SPF 15, they protect against sunburn, skin aging and skin cancer. Antioxidants also play an important role in enhancing sun protection. Antioxidants not only enhance firmness and provide hydration, they also help fight the effects of free radicals. However, antioxidants are not a replacement for adequate SPF protection; we can’t stress enough how vital it is to put on sunscreen every day. Reapplication during the course of the day is also essential if you are spending more time outside than just the car trip to the office and back. While there are a variety of ways to reverse signs of photoaging, including topical treatments such as vitamin A derivatives, alpha hydroxyl acids, vitamin C preparations, plant and botanical derivatives, antioxidants, growth factors and peptides, prevention is better than cure. For more info on the Skin Medica  contact: NuAngle / 011 467 5622