The Good
- When sunlight hits our skin it makes Vitamin D. This is essential for strong bones and teeth.
- Those of us with eczema often see an improvement from the sunshine.
- Nothing lifts our mood like a sunny day. Scientists have proven why: it's all to do with a part of our brain called the pineal gland and our melatonin levels. Google it.
- We look beautiful. Pale may be interesting but tanned is sexy.
The Bad
- Wrinkles. Sunlight ages us more than anything else. Our skin contains proteins called collagen and elastin. Both are damaged by sunlight, even after only 2-3 minutes outside. Once damaged they can't keep our skin supple. It gets thin, lax and wrinkly.
- Skin cancer. The more sunlight we expose our skin to, the more we put ourselves at risk. Our chances are worse if we're fair skinned, burn often or spend too long in the sun.
The Ugly
- Sunburn. AKA lobster skin. The agony. If it's too late and you're glowing like a nuclear reactor, reach for the calamine lotion or aftersun. Drink lots of water, swallow a Paracetamol and banish yourself to the shade for a week.
What is a tan?
Sunlight is a weapon of mass destruction. To protect itself, our skin colours itself brown in an attempt to filter out the harmful rays. The tan is our best defence strategy.
What about sun beds?
No safer than the real thing. Same rules apply: ageing, cancer, sunburn. Plus being a sausage on a griddle is never cool.
What to do
- Opt for shade between 11am and 3pm.
- Sport a hat with a brim and shades. The face and neck are the areas most commonly affected by sun damage.
- Slap on the sun protection. The paler your skin the higher the Sun Protection Factor (SPF). Nothing under a factor 10. Freckles or red hair? Think 20+
- Choose sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB (the two main types of damaging sunlight). Reapply regularly, especially after swimming.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid overheating.
- Watch those moles. If any change, itch, bleed or spread, get them checked by a doctor.
- Fake it. Gone are the days when having a fake tan meant looking like a zebra. There are so many options out there for a year-round tan. Exfoliate, then slap it on.
Further help and advice
Written by Dr Melissa Sayer
Last updated 17th June 2007
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Miss S, 13
I have red hair and a i still get a tan and never get sunburnt but girls DON'T BE FOOLED just because you don't ocme in looking like a lobster doesn't mean you're safe/ put the sunscreen on anyway!!!!
h, 14
i was out in the sun with my mates for about 4 hours, and even though i put on suncream i forgot to reapply it. it was a bit breezy so i didnt notice myself burning, but i went inside and i was burned all over. ouch :( (if you're pale, you have to learn that u wont tan :P FAKE IT!!)
kirsty, 17
dont spend too long in the sun, you end up feeling sick and i got prickly heat! nightmare!
GLEN, 17
i had second degree burns from the sun, good advice listen to the experts! had big blisters and everything. painful!
Rachael, 16
Ewww sun-tanned skin is so over with! Fake it all the way baby! St. Tropez You Rock!
Melissa, 16
Fake Tan It, Dont Use Sunbeds Theyr No Use & You Can Get Cancer!
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