I would think this is an unpopular topic because being overly concerned about the effects of sun damage could mean you are not enjoying life to its fullest. Enjoying the outdoors and such, unless you’re a night crawler would mean exposure to the sun especially since we are on the equator, we bear the brunt of our glorious sun.

The consequences of prolonged exposure to the sun for long periods of time (think people who are crazy over sun tanning, people who have no choice but to work under the sun…etc) include skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression, and worst of all, skin cancer. So it really goes beyond just cosmetic concerns.

The sun emits UV radiation that can be categorised based on their relative wavelengths namely, UVC radiation (100 to 290 nm), UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm) and UVA radiation (320 to 400 nm). UVC radiation has the shortest wavelength and thus it is almost entirely absorbed by the ozone layer. We don’t have to be that concerned about UVC because the sources of UVC radiation around us would be from artificial sources as mercury arc lamps and germicidal lamps.

Now for the two UV radiation that most sunblocks should protect us from.

Wonder why you get sunburns? The main culprit would be UVB radiation which affects the outermost layer of skin. This radiation is the most intense between the hours of 10 a.m and 2 p.m. as the sun is at its strongest. UVB does not penetrate glass easily due to its wavelength so if you love sitting next to the floor to ceiling window in that favourite café of yours on a lazy sunny afternoon, you would be more concerned about UVA instead.

UVA is the main reason why people get skin damage. Skin damage comes in several forms such as dry flaky skin that could itchy, sunburn, actinic keratosis which looks like pimples on patches of scaly skin (can develop into skin cancer), collagen breakdown in the skin which is observable from deeper wrinkles, rough and thickened skin texture and also a lowered immunity to infection. You often see skin damage on people who spend a lot of time under the scorching sun and are not equipped with adequate protection. And since UVA is not filtered out by glass, this is the very reason why we still need to apply our sunblocks even when we are indoors.

If you are in the sun a lot, you might want to consume foods that are known to get rid of free radicals as UV radiation creates free radicals in your body. Free radicals are formed when the oxygen molecules are missing 1 electron and are therefore unstable. This causes a chain reaction that would damage other cells when the molecule than try to get its missing electron from other molecules. Cells’ genetic material could be altered in a way that increases chances of cancer.

UV radiation is also known to increase the number of moles on the sun-exposed parts of the body. While most moles are harmless, regular checks on the appearance of moles should be done as the first sign of melanoma is usually a mole that changes in its size, shape or color.

It might sound like it is all doom and gloom but really, investing in good sun protection, eating the right foods could just be all you need.