UV Awareness

WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT WHEN SUNBATHING?

What to Know to Stay Safe This Summer.

The widespread perception that a tan is healthy and beautiful has led many people to actively seek tanning, and expose their skin to excessive levels of UVR or ultraviolet radiation. This attitude has changed clothing habits, the popularity of outdoor activities and frequent holidays in sunny locations, while seeming the major causes for the dramatic rise in skin cancer rates in all fair-skinned populations.

Results have consistently revealed that sunbathing also has an impact on skin temperature, which possibly by activation of the heat shock response, is likely to contribute to the immediate and delayed effects of UV in a way that is unveiled in future studies.

According to the National Library of Medicine, it has been found that exposure to heat and infrared radiation (IR) can be carcinogenic, and that a combination of UVR and IR possibly amplifies carcinogenesis. To investigate how the skin temperature is affected by sunbathing, it measured the skin temperature on 20 healthy volunteers over 6 days of a sun-oriented holiday. Temperatures were measured with an infrared thermometer gun at 8 skin sites on the volunteers, while they were indoors in the morning and when sunbathing during the day. Skin temperatures were higher during sunbathing (33.5 °C ± 2.1 °C) (mean ± SD) than when indoors in the morning (32.6 °C ± 1.4 °C) (mean ± SD) (P < 0.0001). Of note is the average skin temperature for men was higher than for women by 0.40 °C in the morning (P = 0.02) and by 0.44 °C during sunbathing (P < 0.0001).

A Beneficial Source of Vitamin D 

Whereas the World Health Organization explains that the beneficial effects of UVR exposure to UVB is that it stimulates the production of vitamin D in the skin. It has been estimated that more than 90% of a vitamin D requirement is satisfied by this exposure and less than 10% from diet. Vitamin D has an important function in increasing calcium and phosphorus absorption from food, and plays a crucial role in skeletal development, immune function and blood cell formation. Vitamin D deficiency is unlikely for most people, in part because just a 10- to 15-minute daily exposure of one’s face, forearms and hands to normal summer sun is sufficient to maintain vitamin D levels (McKie, 2000). An exception to this would be for people residing at high latitudes, where UVB levels in winter would be very low.

UVR from artificial sources is also used to treat several diseases and dermatological conditions, including rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice.

Reference: Main Cover Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

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Bob Hertz co-founded and built PSY-TEK Labs with life partner Dr. Mary Clark. Bob’s 50 plus years of technological, spiritual, and entrepreneurial endeavors, include specializations in leading edge technologies. They comprise scalable Software Solution Developments, Communications, E-commerce, Textiles, Banking and Securities Trading, Pediatric Cardiology, Complementary/Alternative Energy-based Medicine and Energy-based Psychology, as well as Subtle Energy Research.