Return to Main Menu

Sun is harmful to your skin, so protect it The sun can be harmful to your skin, but you don’t need to hide indoors to protect it. Be smart about sun exposure and take precautions to keep your eyes and skin healthy.   It is the ultraviolet light, that invisible but intense ray of the sun, that damages your skin. A suntan or sunburn is the first sign of damage. But other harmful effects, such as liver spots or deep wrinkles, appear later and worsen over time. With repeated sun exposure, your skin damage can even progress into cancerous tumors. Wearing sunglasses with UV protection is as important as looking at the SPF on your sunscreen lotion. Suntan   A suntan is the result of injury to the epidermis, the top layer of your skin. A tan develops when ultraviolet light accelerates the production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its natural color. The extra melanin—produced to protect the deeper layers of your skin—creates the darker color of a tan. A suntan is your body’s way of blocking out the ultraviolet rays to prevent further injury to the skin, but the protection only goes so far. Sunburn Ultraviolet light causes the skin to burn, bringing pain, redness and swelling. Depending on the severity of the burn, the dead, damaged skin may peel away to make room for new skin cells. Although the symptoms of sunburn may fade after several days, the damage to your skin remains. Sun exposure that is intense enough to cause a burn can also damage the DNA of skin cells. This damage can lead to skin cancer. Photo aging  (looking older than you are) The results of photo aging include: weaker, thinner, more translucent-looking skin, deep wrinkles, dry, rough skin, fine red veins on your cheeks, nose and ears, freckles, mostly on the face, large brown lesions or white macules. Extended and repeated exposure to ultraviolet light can cause non-cancerous (benign) and cancerous skin tumors: Seborrheic keratoses. Most often seen in aging skin. Tan, brown or black growths have a wart-like or waxy, pasted-on appearance and range in size from very small to more than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) across. Typically, seborrheic keratoses don’t become cancerous, but they can resemble skin cancer. Actinic keratoses. Also known as solar keratoses, they appear as rough, scaly, brown-to-dark-pink patches. Many doctors consider actinic keratoses to be precancerous because they may develop into skin cancer. Skin cancer. Skin cancer develops mainly on areas of skin exposed to a lot of sun, including your scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. It often appears as a small growth or  sore that bleeds, crusts over, heals and then reopens or, in the case of melanoma, an existing mole may change or a new, suspicious-looking mole may develop. See your doctor if you notice a new skin growth, a bothersome change in your skin, a change in the appearance or texture of a mole, or a sore that doesn’t heal within two weeks. Protect your skin and your children’s Avoid the sun during high-intensity hours. Reduce the time you spend outdoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wear a hat and protective clothing.  Wear a T-shirt, the tighter the weave the better, long sleeves are good if you can bear the heat. Sunglasses should have UV protection. Use sunscreen—SPF 15 or above. Apply 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.   The warmth of the sun can be very alluring but don't spend too many hours outdoors this summer basking in the sun.   To test your knowledge about sun damage, take the Skin Cancer Quiz found at: http://www.muschealth.com/health_info/healthcare_tools/health_assessment/ws_skin_cancer/skquiz.htm. Source: http://www.muschealth.com and http://www.mayoclinic.com.  Friday, July 22, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.