It’s hard not to associate summer with sunshine and tanning. We all covet that “healthy glow”, but what measures are we willing to take to get it? To make things easier for the tan-lovers out there, your Knoxville Dermatology team put together the facts about bottle, bed and sun tanning. In this entry, we’ll talk about outdoor tanning or sun tanning.

Sun:

We’ve mentioned the differences between UVA and UVB rays before, but let’s go a little more in depth. UVB rays affect your outer most layer of your epidermis (the upper layer of skin) and cause the painful sunburns we all know and love. UVA rays go deeper into the lower layers of your epidermis. They trigger cells called melanocytes to produce melanin, the pigment that causes tanning.

UVA rays may make you tan, but they can also cause serious damage because they penetrate deeper into the skin. UVA rays can go all the way through the skin’s protective epidermis to the dermis, where blood vessels and nerves are found. Because of this, UVA rays may damage your immune system. This makes it harder to fight off diseases and can lead to illnesses like melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. Exposure to UVB rays also increases your risk of getting two other types of skin cancer: basal and squamous cell carcinoma.

Cancer isn’t the only problem associated with UV exposure. UV damage is a major proponent of premature skin aging like sunspots, wrinkles and decreases skin elasticity. It can also cause cataracts over time.

The easiest way to avoid all of the consequences of UV damage is prevention. The sun’s peak time is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. so be particularly cautious when outdoors in that time period. Wearing sunscreen on your face, neck and arms every day will help prevent premature aging. Also, you should perform annual skin checks at least once a month to make note of any changes in your skin. You can contact one of our certified dermatologists if you have any questions at 865-690-9467.