7 Steps To Safer Sunning

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Seven Steps to Safer Sunning

Put away the baby oil. Toss out that old metal sun reflector. Cancel your next appointment to the local tanning salon.
These are new days with new ways of sunning, and the practices that traditionally have gone into obtaining the so-called "healthy tanned" look are on the verge of fading into history.
In their place: safer sun practices that preserve people's natural skin color and condition.
That's what health experts are hoping for as the evidence against exposure to the sun and sunlamps continues to mount. Both emit harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation that in the short term can cause painful sunburn and in the long term may lead to unsightly skin blemishes, premature aging of the skin, cataracts and other eye problems, skin cancer, and a weakened immune system.
The problems may become more prevalent, too, if, as some scientists predict, the Earth's ozone layer continues to be depleted. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, scientists began accumulating evidence in the 1980s that the ozone layer--a thin shield in the stratosphere that protects life from UV radiation--is being depleted by certain chemicals used on Earth. According to the most recent estimates from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the ozone layer is being depleted at a rate of 4 to 6 percent each decade. This means additional UV radiation reaching Earth's surface--and our bodies.
Although people with light skin are more susceptible to sun damage, darker skinned people, including African Americans and Hispanic Americans, also can be affected.
You may have already started to take precautions. But are you doing all you can?
The following recommendations come from various expert organizations, including the American Academy of Dermatology, American Cancer Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Skin Cancer Foundation, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Cancer Institute, National Weather Se...