Beckley, WV (WVNS) — Soaking up the sun can make you feel better and look tanner, but the reward of tan skin may not be worth it.
Tonia Daniels is a family nurse practitioner who has worked in dermatology for 18 years. She said sun damage can build up over the years.
“Sun causes a lot of cumulative damage over the years, even from childhood,” Daniels said.
Over exposure to UV rays can cause discoloration of the skin, pre-mature aging, and skin cancer. Although people may not see the physical effects at first, Daniels said the damage is being done.
“All of a sudden these places develop and it’s like why did this happen. Well, it’s the sun damage you did when maybe you were a teenager, or in your 20’s, or your 30’s. Your skin can only handle so much of that cumulative damage,” Daniel said.
Daniels said the best way to combat the UV rays is to wear sunscreen and always give your skin a break in the shade. If you have not been so nice to your skin in the past, there is still time to put your skin first.
“It’s never too late, never too late because your skin will actually prepare itself,” she said.
Sunscreen plays a crucial part in keeping our skin safe. There are two different types of sunscreen, a physical block and a chemical block. The best kind of sunscreen is broad spectrum, which protects our skin from UV and UB rays.
People always have to consider the SPF of a sunscreen. SPF stands for sun protection factor. Daniels recommended using SPF 15 to 50. She said any SPF above 50 does not provide any more protection to your skin. Even if you are not laying out by the pool, you should still always have some SPF on.
“So the importance of wearing SPF on a daily basis. Daily moisturizer with sun protection factor, a minimum of 15, whether you are in the sun or not, just to give you some protection,” Daniels said.
