Tag: Uv Rays

Tanning Bed Safety-No Rules Of Any Kind Of Tanning

No matter how much information we see about the possible dangers of too much time in the sun, there are those people who love the way they look with a tan. Some of them will even use artificial light during the off season to keep that golden glow all year long. At the minimum, follow some simple tanning bed safety guidelines if you are going to go to a tanning parlor.

We have known for many years that too much exposure to the sun can have a long term detrimental effect on our overall health and the health of our skin. While the damage may not show up for decades we can develop skin cancer and premature aging to name just two.

In order to decrease these risks in the future use these tanning bed safety rules (as well as any rules that the individual tanning parlor may have in place):

1. Limit the amount of time you spend in a bed when you are first starting out. A good salon will make it part of their policy to limit how much time you can spend when you first start out.

They will force you to increase your time incrementally over a few weeks. It may be frustrating to be able to go for only two or three minutes at a time when first starting but it is the safest way to go.

While all exposure to UV rays can be damaging to your skin, and could lead to future skin cancer, the more often you burn your skin the more likely you are for long term damage.

Avoiding getting burned is one of the best ways to make the whole process “safer”.

2. Make sure you use the eye protection provided (or bring your own). Also, keep your eyes closed. The eye protection is only your first line of defense, your eye lids are your second line of defense. Use both.

Your skin is not the only thing that is vulnerable to too many UV rays. Your eyes are too. If you don’t protect them you may find that skin cancer is the least of your concerns.

3. Allow a minimum of 24 hours between tanning sessions. Again, a well run tanning parlor will make that part of their rules and won’t let you tan more frequently.

This may seem unnecessary but your skin can actually keep tanning for a long time even after you are out of the sun. Until you know how much exposure you really got and how your skin will react you need to allow yourself plenty of time in between visits.

4. Wear sunscreen even in the tanning booth. I know this may seem counter intuitive, but you can still get a tan even while wearing sunscreen, you are just cutting down the amount of these harmful rays that are making it through to your skin and thus minimizing the damage.

5. Make sure the beds are kept clean and sanitary. You don’t want to get more than a tan when you visit your local tanning parlor.

Tanning bed safety guidelines like these are the best way to keep yourself as safe as possible when doing something that isn’t that safe. Don’t compound your risk, follow these rules.

Spray Tanning On The Rise Not Just Celebrities

Probably thanks in no small part to celebrities, the appeal of spray tanning seems to be on the rise. As with most things, there can be pros and cons to getting this type of tan.

In this article I will give you both the pros and cons to spray tanning as well as a general overview of how it’s done and some things you can do to prepare your skin so the results are more effective and attractive.

Tanning this way means that you are literally being sprayed all over your body, with a compound that is comprised of an element that darkens your skin, DHA. DHA has been declared safe by the FDA for this type of use, which is one of the biggest “pros” to this type of tan.

Even so, you do need to be very careful around the eyes.

Since this is basically just a temporary stain you are adding to your skin, it does not have the same long lasting, harmful effects that UV rays have. Whether you get those rays in a tanning bed or at the beach, UV rays can lead to pre mature aging of the skin and possibly even skin cancer.

Even a little exposure to UV rays can cause problems. There really is no “safe” amount of rays though it is generally accepted that moderate amounts over a lifetime, particularly if you don’t ever get sun burnt, is probably not too big of a cause for alarm for most people.

Of course, there are those people who have a pre disposition to cancers of all types, not just skin cancer, and for those individuals even more caution is needed.

Anyway, back to spray tanning. You can do it at home or at local tanning salon. If you do it at home you will probably want to enlist the help of a friend since it can be tough to target all parts of your body on your own.

To increase the effectiveness here are some tips:

1. First of all pick the proper shade for your skin tone. If you are very fair skinned and you try to go ultra dark you may find it looks weird. Instead, try to take your skin up a few steps in color only.

2. Shaving before you get your tan may be a good idea since it is recommended that you don’t shave for at least 24 hours after the tan is applied.

If you get rashy after you shave, you may want to shave at least 24 hours prior to your tanning session to make sure that the rash settles down first.

2. Use an exfoliating wash prior to your tan. Getting rid of as much dried skin as possible and moisturizing afterward can make your skin smoother and less susceptible to looking “blotchy”.

Pay particular attention to those parts of your body that are rough such as elbows and feet. Making these as smooth as possible will also help ensure that they look good after the the tan is applied.

3. Be prepared to repeat the process every week or so. The tan does wash off and will fade over time. That is one of the biggest “cons”; tanning this way can end up being time consuming and costly to keep your tan looking good all season long.

Spray tanning is not without it’s issues, but for anyone who likes that “sun kissed” look it may be a better way to get that look then spending countless hours damaging your skin in the sun.

Reversible Sun Damage Treatment Advice

Who doesn’t love to spend the day outside under the beautiful summer sun? Not too many people I know, but, if you do you should know that the sun can damage your hair as well as your skin. You will need reversible sun damage treatment to your hair if you spend a lot of time outside

You use sun screen on your skin but what can you do when the sun damages your hair?

Mostly, hair products that contain sun protection factors do not contain enough to really do any good protecting your hair so the reversible sun damage treatment has to come after sun exposure in the form of deep conditioning.

The sun alone can cause your hair to become dry and brittle, add in some salt water from the beach and a little sand, not to mention the wind and your hair gets bombarded.

The UV rays from the sun break down the protein of the hair shaft and decrease production of the scalp’s natural oils that usually nourish your hair.

If it could cry it would after a long day at the beach. Treat it right when you get home and use a deep conditioner after a good washing. You can overcome the sun damaging effects this way almost overnight.

The key is to continue to deep condition after every outing, even if it just into your backyard. You don’t have to be at the beach to damage your hair just being out doing yard work can do the same thing.

Protect your hair when you are outside by wearing a nice wide brimmed hat that can also help protect your neck and shoulders from sunburn.

Of course, you should always be using sunscreen protection on your skin as well. Just remember to continue to reapply the sunscreen per package directions. If you plan on spending the entire day outside it is recommended that you find some shade to give your body a break from the sun, if possible.

Stay away from drinking a lot of alcohol when out in the sun and stick to drinking water. Staying hydrated is important in keeping skin and hair healthy at all times but especially in the summer when the heat can rob you of essential electrolytes lost by perspiration.

But, stay away from those overly sugared energy drinks, they will only aid in your body becoming even more dehydrated.

It wouldn’t hurt to stock up on those replenishing sports drinks that the athletes use and drink one after a day in the sun. You will feel better the next day if you do and make sure to eat a good portion of protein to keep your body in good running order.

Summertime is a wonderful time of the year and a great time to spend outside with family and friends having fun. Just keep in mind that you should take care of your hair as well as your skin when it comes to being out in the sun. Reversible sun damage treatment to hair begins with protection first and then deep conditioning afterward.

Different Skin Care Problems And Their Treatment

The skin can make or break a persons appearance. One can have the perfect features but without the flawless skin to go with it, you wont be able to stand out in the crowd.

Despite the exodus of products in the market that help in caring for the skin, there are still a lot of people who are not in the best shape when it comes to their skin. Treating the skin can be a problem especially when you are not aware of what the cause and the nature of the problem.

Below are some of the most basic and common skin problems, their causes and their solutions. Read on and you might get some great advice about it.

1. Wrinkles and lines

This is perhaps the number one fear of most people lines and wrinkles, which are signs of aging. Besides growing old, this is also caused by too much exposure to the sun as well as repeated use of muscles.

Solution:
Early intervention is perhaps the best solution. Always wear sunblock, which will protect your skin from the harsh rays of the sun. Sunscreens that have SPH 15 and higher protect your skin from both UVB and UVA. Get a sunscreen that will also moisturize your skin. This is especially true with people who have dry skins.

2. Enlarged pores

Although this is not really much of a problem as compared to wrinkles and lines in the face, some people are still worried about this as large pores are more prone to acne and pimple problems. This is because dead skin cells and grime tend to clog the pores, leading to acne.

Solution:
There is actually nothing that one can do with large pores as we are gifted with this from birth. The only thing that one can do is to prevent the clogging of the pores by removing make-up and washing your face before going to sleep. UV rays can also cause the opening of the pores so it is important to protect your skin well.

3. Dark Spots

This has actually been the problem of people who are already in their middle ages. Still, with the extreme heat of the sun and peoples penchant for sunbathing, many young people nowadays have developed dark spots on their skin. Dark spots are the result of the overactive production of melanin as a response to extreme heat.

Solution:
Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Need we say more?
One should also look for products that have vitamin C and E, which helps in preventing brown spots.