Take Precautions to Prevent Sunburn

The goal here is to tan safely, but since we already know that's impossible, we can at least figure out how to avoid getting burned. There is a common myth that a sunburn will fade into a tan. This has no basis in reality. A sunburn is actually a bunch of broken blood vessels that form on top of a tan. While it is especially bad to suffer from sunburns before the age of 21, since it increases your odds of skin cancer, a sunburn at any age can have serious side effects. These effects include loss of skin moisture, loss of elasticity and the formation of sunspots on the skin. So to make sure you get a tan Frankie and Annette would be proud of, you need to take some precautions:

Try to avoid the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., since that's when UV rays are at their strongest.

Make sure your sunscreen is waterproof. If you're thinking you don't need sunscreen because you will be swimming, think again. UV rays can reach up to 9 feet in water, and it will be harder to feel your skin burn as you swim.

Reapply sunscreen every 20 minutes.

Apply sunscreen on days that look overcast, too, since clouds are able to block only 20 percent of radiation.

The clothes you wear can also have an impact upon whether you burn or tan. When not swimming, it's important that you wear loose-fitting clothes that aren't transparent. Stick with light colors, since dark clothes attract the sun. Most dermatologists recommend wearing a hat in the sun.

Of course, no sun-worshipping outfit would be complete without a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses you buy don't have to be expensive, but they should be able to block all UVA and UVB radiation. If you can't tell, don't buy them. Exposing your eyes to the sun can result in vision loss and damage to the cornea.

Next: Consider Visiting a Tanning Salon

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scottkyu said

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on 9/4/2009 Question: If I get the same amount of color if I sun for 2 hours starting at 10am, compared to 1 hour starting at noon, does it matter when I go? Is one less harmful to my health?