Sunscreen Can Prevent Prematurely Wrinkled Skin

For many people, sunbathing is a way of life. Starting from childhood onward, they may spend long summer days soaking up the sun in the hopes of getting that perfect tan. Furthermore, if they can’t get time outdoors, they may instead look at tanning salons as a way to keep up that summer tan well into the winter months. However, all those sun worshippers may not realize that while they are busy perfecting their tans, they may actually be setting themselves up for prematurely wrinkled skin, particularly the delicate facial and chest skin.

How Does the Sun Cause Premature Wrinkles?

Natural sunlight emits two types of ultraviolet (UV) light. Ultraviolet A (UVA) affects the deeper layer of skin and is responsible for premature skin wrinkling. Ultraviolet B (UVB) light works on the outer layer of skin and can cause both sunburn and skin cancer such as melanoma.

When the UVA light comes in contact with unprotected skin, the dermis (the middle layer of skin) begins to produce melanin for the outermost layer of skin, known as the epidermis. This is what gives you a tan. However, repeated exposure to sun without any sunscreen protection, for even as little as 30 minutes a day, will eventually cause the skin to dry out. As a result, the facial and chest areas will lose collagen, which is a protein that the body forms to fill out the skin over the skeletal framework. If the body starts to lose collagen, the skin will become wrinkled. You may notice this as fine lines around the mouth, forehead and brow furrows, and crow’s feet forming around the outer corners of the eyes.

How Can Sunscreen Help Protect Your Skin?

Certain inorganic compounds, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, can reflect UV rays similar to how white paint reflects light. In fact, sunscreens that contained zinc oxide actually were white for a number of years. Nowadays, however, zinc oxide sunscreens do not have any color because the compound particles are much smaller than they were 10 to 20 years ago. Sunscreens also contain organic compounds such as avobenzone or oxybenzone. These compounds actually have bonds that absorb the UV rays, preventing them from causing sunburn or skin tumors.

What Does Sun Protection Factor Mean?

Sun protection factor (SPF) is a numbering system to tell you how well the sunscreen protects against UVB rays. Our staff at Jefferson Plastic Surgery recommends that consumers look for sunscreen that is broad-spectrum to help deflect both UVA and UVB rays. We also recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of between 15 and 50, as sunscreens with an SPF greater than 50 are not much more effective than those with an SPF of 50.

The SPF number tells you how long it will take before you start to get sunburned. For example, if your skin usually starts to turn red after 10 minutes, an SPF of 15 will mean that you won’t start to turn red for 150 minutes or 2.5 hours. By comparison, an SPF of 50 will give you 500 minutes of protection.

There is no reason you should avoid having fun in the sun this summer. However, a broad-spectrum sunscreen for your face and chest will prevent your skin from premature aging and wrinkling. Remember to apply it before you leave your house, as well as after you go into either the ocean or the pool.