YAY, it’s summer! For beach-loving people like Cebuanos, that means it’s the best time to hie over to one of our many gorgeous beaches to cool off in turquoise waters. I don’t want to burst your sun-soaked bubble, but being outdoors a lot will mean more exposure to the sun. Even if we’re not at the beach, we’re still constantly exposed to ultraviolet rays because of our climate.
This is not to say that you should hide from the sun completely, but it pays to get smarter about protecting your skin from the damaging effects of UV rays. During a recent talk given by Aileen Peña-Dumdum, MD, FPDS, she explained how UVA and UVB rays can penetrate several layers of the skin, from its surface down to the epidermis and the dermis. This penetration causes dark patches, premature wrinkling, loose skin, painful sunburns, or aggravates skin cancer cells.
Here are some precautions to take:
Stay in the shade between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when UV rays are the strongest. If at the beach, note that both water and sand reflect UV rays. Staying under the shade will reduce UV exposure by about 50 percent.
Put on loose clothing to take cover from the sun. If you’re in the water, many rash guards are now made with SPF fabric. These are not very expensive and really worth getting; aside from protection from jellyfish if you’re in the ocean, these are effective at preventing sunburn.
Protect your eyes. Sun exposure and constant squinting will make those crow’s feet appear earlier than necessary. Dr. Dumdum recommends looking for a pair that indicates UV protection on its lenses.
If you spend long hours driving (hello, Cebu traffic), it will be worth getting your car windshield and windows treated with a UV-preventing tint.
And of course, apply sunblock. There are new ones coming out in the market all the time that are affordable and effective, in different formulations that are not thick or heavy. Wear sunscreen every day, even if not at the beach. Yes, you must apply sunblock even on gray days, as over 90 percent of UV rays can still penetrate clouds. Based on first-hand experience, one can still get sunburned on a cloudy day. On one full day out at the beach, I only applied sunblock once, thinking I didn’t need to reapply after swimming since it was overcast. I still got sunburned. I now wear a minimum of SPF30 on my face daily and SPF20 on other exposed parts of my skin.