WITH sunny days comes UV rays, which we all know can cause serious damage to our skin. While you might crave that “healthy summer glow”, doctors warn there is no such thing. Just a few bouts of sunburn as a child drastically increases your risk of skin cancer, leading dermatologist Dr Jonathan Kentley, ambassador for Melanoma Research Alliance, told Sun on Sunday Health.
Meanwhile nine in ten cases of melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, could be prevented by staying safe in the sun and avoiding sun beds, Cancer Research UK estimates. The bad news does not end there. Dr Omar Tillo, medical director at the CREO cosmetic surgery clinic in London, warns those UV rays can also wreak havoc with your looks.
“UV rays from the sun can cause damage to the skin in many ways,” he says. “This includes speeding up the decline of skin fibres, collagen and elastin, which can lead to wrinkles and sagging skin.” Dr Tillo adds that UV rays can also increase the number of active melanocytes responsible for producing melanin, leading to age spots and pigmentation.
They can dehydrate the skin causing dryness, and they damage DNA, which can lead to precancerous cells. Most read in Health As it is our biggest organ, it is important that we care for and protect our skin. Yet research by Nivea Sun and Cancer Research UK has found that 21 per cent of us say we do not take more care in the sun in the summer or spring compared to winter and autumn.
But there are ways to care for skin that ha.