There are many things about the sun that people don’t know. For instance why is the sun exposure bad? What are UVA and UVB rays? Are there benefits from UV radiation? How does the sun affect eyes and skin? What about dark skin, does it make a difference? Many people also don’t know about tanning beds. What’s wrong with them? Is it the same as being in the sun? And last but not least how can you enjoy the sun safely? All of these questions and more will be answered as you read this. I mean people are in the sun all the time and don’t realize the damage they are doing and the benefits they are getting.
UVA and UVB ways stand for ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays. The sunlight that reaches earth has these rays. These rays are the main cause of skin damage from the sun. UVA rays can pass through window glass, aren’t affected by change in weather, is always present, 5% of the suns rays, and affects long term skin damage. UVB rays can’t pass through window glass, causes sunburn, causes tanning, helps the body with the production of vitamin D, varies with the weather and seasons, are more intense during midday than late afternoon and morning, is .5% of the suns rays, and can be protected against by the sun protection factor (SPF). The sun protection factor is the number on the sunscreen bottle. It tells you how long your skin can be out in the sun without getting burned, the higher the number the better. SPF only applies to UVB rays but there are some sunscreens that do protect against UVA rays.
Although you might think that there are no benefits from UV radiation you are wrong. In fact some UV radiation is essential to the body. The sun helps with blood circulation. It also produces vitamin D which increases calcium and phosphorous absorption from food. Vitamin D also is a main part of skeletal development, immune function, and blood cell formation. Even thought this proves that we all need sunlight we still shouldn’t stay out in the sun for too long. 5 – 15...