When we prepare the bag to go to the beach or the pool, sunscreen is one of the first items we have on our list of essentials. This is because we automatically associate these two places with the possible burns we expose ourselves to by being in the sun; However, we forget that in many other daily tasks we also receive sun exposure and we do not apply cream there.
The dermatologists They are clear that this is a serious problem in the perception of the risk of exposing ourselves to the sun, since we believe that it only burns on the beach, but not while we walk down the street or drive in the car. This is precisely what dermatologist Miguel Sánchez Viera points out in statements collected by elDiario: “Much of the sun damage occurs in daily activities that go unnoticed”
And he goes one step further by stating that “many times the cancer we diagnose today is a consequence of sun exposure that began decades ago.”
The invisible danger. The WHO itself and the National Cancer Institute in the United States they are clear than sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet radiation that directly cause photoaging and skin cancer. But the important nuance is that we are facing cumulative damage.
This is important, because it is not necessary to lie in the sun to add up “reports” of suffering from a serious skin disease, but walking to work, taking the dog or sitting and having a coffee on a terrace are forms of incidental sun exposure. It is these daily and casual exposures that add up to clinically relevant doses throughout our lives.
In the car. One of the clearest examples of this false sense of security is the car, since many drivers assume that being behind glass blocks radiation. But science here suggests that, while modern windshields are designed to block most UVA and UVB radiation, side windows are another story. Multiple studies show that the side glass blocks UVB rays, which are the main cause of immediate burns, but allows UVA rays to pass in very variable proportions.
UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are largely responsible for premature aging and long-term cell damage. Therefore, driving or even habitually sitting near a brightly lit window silently contributes to our total dose of UVA.
The solar callus. In recent months This concept has become popular pointing out that the skin can “get used” to the sun little by little to generate tolerance without the need for creams that have also been demonized. But health authorities are categorical in this regard, pointing out that the skin cannot safely get used to radiation.
The damage to cellular DNA is cumulative and the skin has a “memory” and does not forgive excesses, whether they come from an intense burn in August or from twenty years of moderate unprotected radiation going to the office. In fact, the WHO and the ILO highlight that occupational outdoor exposure has a real and documented weight in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Sun protection is non-negotiable and it is advisable to stop associating it only with summer or days at the beach and pool. Applying it before leaving the house and exposing ourselves to UV radiation is imperative if we seek to maintain good dermatological health.
Images | Amy Humphries
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