Ultraviolet or UV Exposure Severely Damages the Skin

Ultraviolet or UV exposure damages our DNA and activates chemicals in the body that start a chain of events leading to increased skin cancer risks. What are the signs of UV damage? How dangerous is ultraviolet radiation?

The book Saving Your Skin gives the following warning : “Ultraviolet light damages DNA [the genetic material that controls cell activities, such as cell division], causes immunosuppression and may activate chemicals in the body that stimulate the chain of events leading to cancer.”

The sun emits three kinds of ultraviolet radiation:

UVA and UVB Radiation

UVC Radiation
    Is the most harmful form of ultraviolet radiation but we are protected because the ozone layer stops UVC radiation from reaching the earth.
Photoaging is a skin condition caused by UVA radiation. It is a results of the skin being over exposed to the sun.

Skin damage caused by photoaging:

  • tanned skin
  • sunburn
  • freckles
  • skin cancer
  • premature wrinkles
  • dry, tough, leathery looking skin
  • skin discoloration (age spots)
UV exposure damages the skin over a accumulated period of time. It is often when we get older that the problems associated with skin damaged by the sun's ultraviolet radiation begins to appear.

Fair skinned people are more prone to sun damaged by UV radiation because they have less pigmentation in the skin but dark skinned people are not immune from skin damage. They should also take steps to protect their skin from the effects of ultraviolet radiation.

We all need to use some form of sun protection that includes a broad-spectrum sunscreen, one that protects us from the two forms of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB. By doing this we can avoid skin cancer risk because of UV exposure.

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