Magic skin - Doctor Eskin! Winter sun, tanning in winter Women should not sunbathe topless.

Previously, tanned skin was considered a sign of low birth, and therefore high-born ladies tried to protect their skin from the sun, wore hats, veils and gloves, so that the skin remained young for as long as possible where it was not protected by clothing. Later, within a few decades, most of the "white" race began to find a special attraction in tanned skin.

Why? Because tanning was associated with nature, sports, outdoor activities and fitness - these concepts alone already evoke pleasant sensations. But recently, perhaps due to the discovery ozone hole and the worldwide rise in skin cancers, tanning has become increasingly out of fashion - at least tanning at all costs.

Sun. To be or not to be?...

Ultraviolet rays are energy waves that are shorter than UV rays. visible light. There are three types of ultraviolet light: rays - A (UVA), rays - B (UVB) and rays - C (UVC).

Of these three types, only UVA and UVB rays pass through the atmospheric filter. And it is because of them that our skin tans.

UVA rays (A-rays) - penetrate deep into the skin, reducing its elasticity and firmness, causing premature skin aging, expressed in the accelerated formation of wrinkles, age spots and freckles, especially in fair-haired and fair-eyed people. High activity of such rays provokes the development of skin cancer.

UVB-rays (B-rays) - can cause skin burns, are the direct cause of skin cancer.

UVC-rays (C-rays) are deadly for flora and fauna. The ozone layer of the atmosphere surrounding our earth absorbs them, protecting all life from the destructive effects of these rays. But, as you know, ozone layer atmosphere for recent decades became less powerful.

In addition to the terrible diseases that lead to, in fairness it must be said, only serious sunburn, sun exposure causes premature skin aging, deep wrinkles (which cannot be smoothed out), the appearance of spots and freckles on the skin. According to recent studies, excessive action ultraviolet rays can weaken the immune system.

It would seem that the conclusion suggests itself: the less sun in our lives, the better. But the sun is hard to understand. In addition to the disadvantages, there are back side. Without sunlight, any existence is unthinkable. Being in the sun, you feel healthy, the level of blood circulation increases, there is a feeling of cheerfulness. The sun is good for bones, teeth and hormonal system person. Under the influence of the sun, vitamin D is produced. In addition, sunbathing is prescribed for people with acne - due to peeling of the skin, the mouth of the sebaceous glands is cleansed. Ultraviolet radiation prevents the development of incurable skin diseases such as psoriasis.

Myths related to tanning.

A person going on vacation is usually under the yoke of established opinions about the dangers of one holiday and the benefits of another. Where such "axioms" come from - no one really knows. But many of them very often do not correspond to reality.

Sunburn causes cancer.

This rumor has good reason. Indeed, doctors have convincing evidence that excessive exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer. However, excessive tanning is one that causes sunburn. If you protect your body with special creams, and at the same time sunbathe to the color of "chocolate" without any burns, then you should not be afraid of such consequences. The only thing is, if you are going to the sea, you should still visit an oncologist in order to find out if there are areas of skin on your skin that need to be more carefully preserved.

Sunburn causes mastopathy.

No, a tan, of course, cannot cause mastopathy. However, if mastopathy already exists, but is asymptomatic, it can manifest itself after abundant sunbathing. This does not always happen, and is apparently due to the fact that with abundant intense sunburn, mediated stimulation of the endocrine organs (thyroid gland, pituitary gland, ovaries) occurs, which can sometimes lead to hormonal imbalance and increase the manifestations of mastopathy.

Women are not allowed to sunbathe "topless"

Contrary to popular belief, the sun's rays do not have any direct effect on breast tissue. The only danger is sunburn of the nipples and areolas (nipple field), which can lead to peeling of the skin of the nipple, cracks in the nipple, cause skin boils and even inflammatory changes in the mammary gland. Nipple burns are also common because topless tanning often places the nipples out of the shade for obvious reasons. Therefore, just cover them while tanning.

Blondes shouldn't sunbathe

Everyone can sunbathe, but people with a fair skin type are indeed much more prone to sunburn and, accordingly, melanoma than brunettes and brunettes. Therefore, the logical advice would be to more carefully monitor the time spent in the sun.

Sunburn accelerates aging

Aging itself is a complex process. And tanning is unlikely to have any effect on the aging of the body as a whole. Sun exposure only causes a very accurate imitation of skin aging - photoaging. Therefore, after the holidays, it makes sense to take care of your face more tightly in order to restore the lost elasticity to the skin.

Umbrellas save from burning

Unfortunately, it is not. Umbrellas, like the shade from rare palm trees on the beach, do not provide sufficient protection - diffused ultraviolet will reach you even in the shade of a beach umbrella.

It's better to sunbathe cloudy weather

No, it's not. As mentioned above, there are two frequency types of ultraviolet in the sun's rays:

• UV-A, the level of which is practically independent of the weather.
• UV-B, which is necessary for the formation of vitamin D, which has a protective effect on the skin. Its level really decreases during cloudy weather.

Based on this information, it is easy to understand that it is much easier to get a sunburn during cloudy weather.

If you use a protective cream, you can sunbathe longer

No. Protective creams allow you to avoid sunburn, and even then not always. The use of sunscreen is not sufficient justification for wanting to spend more time in the sun.

In summer, everyone strives to make the most of their vacation time and get a charge of health and vigor on the beach for the rest of the year. At the same time, many have heard about both the benefits and the dangers of tanning. We decided to figure out what is true and what is a myth.

1. The darker the tan, the more vitamin D

Getting on the skin, ultraviolet rays start the work on the production of vitamin D. This is the only "non-standard" vitamin that not only comes to us with this or that product, but is also produced by the body under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Just 10-15 minutes of sun exposure is enough to get your daily vitamin D requirement. At the same time, bronzed skin becomes almost impenetrable, and the vitamin necessary for strengthening and growing bones is not produced in it. That is why people who try to be tanned all year round face the problem of brittle bones earlier.

2. Brunettes can tan longer than blondes.

Light-skinned people are indeed much more prone to sunburn and, consequently, melanoma than dark-skinned people. Among Europeans, three phototypes are distinguished; in the classification, not only the color of the skin, but also the eye is important.

So, the first type is light sensitive skin with freckles, light blue or green eyes, blond or red hair. It is almost impossible for such people to sunbathe, but you can easily get burned. The safe time that people of this type can spend in the sun without protective cream is no more than 7 minutes. The second type is bright skin, little or no freckles, light eyes, light blond or brown hair. Sunburn does not fit well, at first the skin acquires a red tint, it burns quite easily. You can stay in the sun without a protective cream for no longer than 15 minutes.

The third type is dark skin, Brown eyes, dark hair. The skin tans easily, and sunburn is rare for it. Without protection, you can sunbathe for up to 20 minutes.

3. Sunburn accelerates aging

Aging of the body as a whole is a complex process, which is unlikely to have any effect on sunburn. However, under the influence of solar radiation, processes similar to aging occur in the skin. In medicine, even a special term "photoaging" has appeared. Scientists have calculated that one season of intensive sunbathing ages the skin by 6 months. And if you spent the last 10 years summer rest on the beach, the first wrinkles may appear five years earlier than the time programmed by the genes. The first sign of photoaging is pigment spots on the face and neck, which over time, the spots grow and darken. Dermatologists recommend taking vitamin E capsules 1-2 days before going to the beach or every 4 hours during sun exposure. It will help maintain skin elasticity and youthfulness.

4. Sunburn leads to cancer and other diseases

Doctors have strong evidence that overexposure to sunlight can actually cause skin cancer. However, if you use sunscreen and do not sunbathe to the point of blisters, you should not be afraid of such consequences.

Sunburn is also often cited as a cause of mastopathy (breast disease). Probably, this myth is connected with the fact that if mastopathy already exists, but is asymptomatic, it can manifest itself after abundant sunbathing. Intense tanning can sometimes lead to hormonal imbalance and exacerbate the manifestations of the disease. Contrary to popular belief, the sun's rays do not directly affect breast tissue. The only danger is sunburn of the nipples and areolas (nipple field), which can lead to nipple cracks and even inflammatory changes in the mammary gland.

5. Some products will help increase the tan.

A beautiful even tan can really be obtained thanks to some products. For example, carrots and apricots are rich in beta-carotene. Before going to the beach, it is recommended to drink a glass of freshly squeezed juice so that the tan goes smoother and faster. Help enhance the effect of sunburn and tomatoes. They contain lycopene, a substance that stimulates the production of melanin. On the beach, they can be absorbed in any quantity. Other foods that can help even out your tan include peaches, grapes, beets, melon, watermelon, tomatoes, spinach, sorrel, pumpkin, asparagus, broccoli, green vegetables, currants, citrus fruits, kiwi, bell peppers, wholemeal bread, and oatmeal. . These products contain vitamins A, C, E, PP and folic acid, the lack of which can cause a "spotted" tan.

6. A number of medications can ruin a tan.

Sun spots are also at risk for those who combine sunbathing with antibiotics, hormonal contraceptives, tranquilizers, allergy medications, or high blood pressure. Another option is also possible - photodermatitis or "allergy to the sun": peeling skin in layers. With diabetes, hypertension, mastopathy, gynecological diseases, thyroid disorders, chronic diseases of the liver and adrenal glands, it is better to sunbathe under the shade of an umbrella. So you will receive the minimum dose of ultraviolet radiation necessary to raise immunity and avoid harmful radiation.

7. Sunbathing is safe on a cloudy day

There are two types of ultraviolet in the sun: UV-A, the level of which is practically independent of the weather, and UV-B, which is necessary for the formation of vitamin D, its level really decreases during cloudy weather. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, causing premature aging, wrinkling and allergic reactions. UVB rays only reach the top layer of the skin, but cause sunburn and cancer. At the same time, clouds transmit up to 80% of ultraviolet radiation, so you can get burned even in cloudy weather. It is worth remembering that beach umbrellas, like the shade from palm trees, do not provide sufficient protection and do not save from scattered ultraviolet radiation: sand reflects up to 20% of the sun's rays. Regardless of the weather, sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 is recommended for prolonged outdoor exposure.

8. It is impossible to burn already tanned skin.

Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the pigment melanin is produced in the skin, the intensity of tanning depends on its concentration. Base tan is just the skin's reaction to ultraviolet light. Of course, melanin serves as a kind of barrier to dangerous UVA rays, but additional skin protection is still needed.

9. Sunscreen is not needed if you swim a lot.

There is an opinion that water can provide protection from the sun, so those who bathe a lot can not use additional products. In fact, ultraviolet rays can penetrate to a depth of about one meter. Therefore, splashers should apply sunscreen before they enter the water, as well as after leaving it.

10. You need to prepare for the beach in the solarium

The ability to burn in already tanned skin is only slightly less, such skin acquires a protection factor of no more than 5SPF, so the resulting tan is not a good protection for long stay under natural ultraviolet light. Sunburn is a sign of skin damage from ultraviolet rays. Each time a person tans, he receives a new dose of this damage. Over time, they accumulate and contribute to accelerated skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer.

11. A cream with a higher SPF protects the skin better.

Using sunscreen with a high SPF gives you a false sense of security. In fact, the difference between the numbers indicating the protection factor is not so great. For example, a product with SPF 15 protects against the penetration of 93% of UVB rays, and products with SPF 50-60 provide approximately 98% protection. Many sunscreens do not contain ingredients that provide comprehensive protection against both UVB and UVA rays, which are the most penetrating and reach the middle layers of the dermis. Experts advise applying sunscreen every 2 hours, regardless of the SPF.

12. Waterproof products don't need to be reapplied often.

Waterproof sunscreen can only provide protection while swimming. However, even such preparations do not withstand prolonged bathing, so you have to apply them again and again. You should also update protection if you wipe yourself with a towel. The funds should indicate the duration of their action - 40-80 minutes. According to dermatologists, no product is actually completely waterproof.

To this day, the most popular type of beach holiday is when you want to soak up the sun, get away from active everyday life and, of course, shine with a bronze tint after your vacation. beautiful body. But since the vacation, as a rule, is not as long as we would like, and the weather is not subject to our desires and plans, there is always a high risk of not getting the desired tan due to bad weather. As soon as the clouds are gathering overhead, the majority of vacationers (of course, the beautiful part of humanity is in the advantage) falls into a mini-tantrum: I won’t have time to tan by the end of the holiday! Is it really? Or is it still possible to sunbathe in cloudy weather?

We will not torment and “go away from the topic”, but will immediately answer exciting question: it is quite possible to get a tan (and even get burned!) under the clouds. Many people find that cloudy tans go on more evenly and last longer. To understand whether this is a myth or reality, it is worth studying in more detail the mechanism solar radiation and understand how a tan appears.

The sun is the main source of ultraviolet radiation, and it is UV rays that, acting on a living organism, contribute to the formation of a tan (and many other important processes). In turn, in the ultraviolet spectrum, 3 classes of rays are distinguished (UV-A, UV-B and UV-C), each of which hits the Earth in different amounts and affects the human body in different ways. The most dangerous for humans are C-rays and B-rays, but nature created the ozone layer precisely in order to prevent them from reaching the Earth and all living things. A-rays have the lowest level of radiation, they freely penetrate the Earth even through clouds, but in a slightly smaller amount, and provide the body with invaluable benefits, and with it a lot of harm. So, premature aging of the skin directly depends on the amount of sunbathing: and the more the skin is exposed to solar “burns”, the faster it fades, losing its elasticity and firmness, since A-rays, penetrating into the deep layers of the epidermis, destroy elastin and collagen cells .

Actually, the tan itself is just a protective reaction of the body to the action of UV radiation. If direct A and B rays fall on human skin, then a special pigment, melanin, begins to be actively produced in the cells of the skin, which protects the lower layer of the epidermis from the damaging effects of UV rays (from sunburn and overheating (heat stroke)). In turn, along with the formation of this pigment, other important processes are also triggered - for example, the production of vitamin D.

Few people think about the importance of the processes that occur in the body during sunbathing, but the fact that a person needs these procedures is an indisputable fact. Another thing is "overdose". After all, only what is in moderation is useful. Stories about melanoma (an oncological skin disease) are far from intimidating, but a warning: you should not get involved in sunbathing, but to get not only beautiful from a tan appearance, but also health benefits, it is important to follow simple rules:

• It is better to sunbathe in the shade (at least, the head must be protected from direct sunlight).
• Do not sit out "in the sun" (increase the time spent under the sun's rays gradually).
• Apply sunscreen to the skin.
• Use special cosmetics after sunburn.
• Take into account the “activity” of the sun (“dangerous” height above the horizon, the sun takes from 11 am to 4 pm).

Is it possible to consider cloudy weather as a kind of shadow? On the one hand, yes, because clouds block a quarter of the direct sunlight. At the same time, scattered radiation passes through them unhindered, and a person receives a prophylactic dose of ultraviolet radiation simply by being outdoors, even on a cloudy day. As for cloudy beach weather, of course, the production of melanin will slow down a little, but this is only good - such a tan will lie more evenly and last much longer.

The main mistake of "sunbathers" in cloudy weather is the refusal to apply sunscreen to the body. As a result, having been under the clouds all day, vacationers face burns in the evening. This is due to the fact that the ultraviolet did its job, and the body was unable to defend itself without additional support.

It is worth noting that applying special creams with SPF protection to the skin of the face is main part prevention of premature aging of the skin. Unfortunately, many ladies ignore this advice cosmetologists and in pursuit of a bronze tint of the body receive unpleasant surprises: flabbiness, dryness, sagging skin, wrinkles and other troubles, up to cancer.

Based on the foregoing, we conclude: everything is good in moderation, and cloudy weather is not a reason to be upset if it accompanies a long-awaited vacation. A tan will definitely appear, while the risk of getting an unwanted burn will be much reduced.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to predict the weather for several weeks in advance, because weather quite changeable. One of the most terrible news that vacationers are very unwilling to face upon arrival on vacation is precisely the worsening weather conditions.

But what about the chocolate tan and the enjoyment of sunbathing? In this case, many are wondering whether it is possible to get a tan in cloudy weather, or whether time on the beach will be spent absolutely in vain.

When there are doubts about whether it is possible to tan if the sun is behind the clouds, it is necessary to listen to the opinion of experts on this matter. As practice shows, it is sunbathing in the shade that turns out to become the owner of a persistent and even tan.

But leading experts in the field of chemistry and physics say that even in cloudy weather, you can safely go to the beach for a tan. The fact is that most of the ultraviolet passes unhindered through the clouds, so there are frequent cases of burns even in such weather conditions.

Is it possible to tan under the clouds? Undoubtedly, and the tan will turn out to be quite beautiful, even. That's just to get the desired skin tone in overcast conditions, it may take a little longer.

Don't Forget About Precautions

At first glance, it may seem that when sunbathing in the shade, there is no need to treat the skin with sunscreen, because the risk of burns is completely absent. In fact, this is a big misconception and experts insist that precautions must be remembered, even when it comes to staying in shaded conditions.

Therefore, going to the beach in cloudy weather, one should not forget about sunscreen. Of course, it can be used in much smaller quantities than in the conditions of the scorching sun. This will help prevent sunburn.

Is it possible to tan in cloudy weather? This question worries all vacationers who are not lucky with the weather on vacation. Of course, you can get a tan in such conditions, that's just going to get nice tan far from one day. To speed up the process, you can use some of the proven secrets of a beautiful tan. This is about:

• Used useful products. As evidenced by numerous studies, by filling the daily diet with certain foods, it will be possible to minimize the risk of sunburn. Such positive properties are typical for melon, apricot, broccoli, watermelon, grapes, spinach, as well as for foods rich in tyrosine (they are presented oily fish, meat, liver, almonds).
• The use of vegetable oils. The greatest effectiveness in obtaining a tan is attributed to oils with walnut, coconut, cocoa, sesame. But to consolidate the result, it is recommended to treat the skin with almond, peach, apricot or olive oil.

As for food, the diet must be filled not only with products that form additional protection of the skin from sunburn, but also with products that contribute to the formation of a brown tint. If you need to tan quickly, it is recommended to focus on foods filled with beta-carotene and represented by carrots, pumpkins, sweet peppers and oranges.

It should also be remembered that ultraviolet radiation affects a particular type of skin in different ways, on which the quality of a tan depends. So, skin integuments that are prone to oiliness tan best, which cannot be said about dry skin, the owners of which make considerable efforts to obtain the desired shade.

You also need to take into account the fact that the skin, which is prone to excessive sweating, sunbathe much worse, because the fluid released prevents normal tanning.

For trips to the beach in cloudy weather, you can also use a cream that accelerates tanning. These funds help to increase blood microcirculation in the skin, against which the production of melanin, which is responsible for skin coloring, is activated.

Such creams, as a rule, are characterized by a "tingle effect", as evidenced by the mark on the product label. Unfortunately, such products can not be used by everyone and many people experience an allergic reaction. To avoid unwanted side effects, it is recommended to pre-test the selected product on a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin.

So, the answer to the question, is it possible to sunbathe on a cloudy day, is obvious. As practice shows, in such conditions it is possible not only to tan, but also to get sunburn, so you should always remember about safety measures.

Video about tanning products