Damage from the Sun CAUTION!

It’s not just your face and body that suffers the ravages from the damaging rays of the sun. Lips are very sensitive and easily damaged. Wearing lipstick helps protect lip skin from damage and possible future skin cancer. The more opaque a lipstick is, the better protection it provides from ultraviolet rays. Women typically develop lip cancer less than men simply because they wear lipstick regularly. For sheer lipsticks and balms, make sure they contain a sunscreen of at least 15 SPF.

The sun damages eyes too. Eyes can’t shed layers and repair tissue the way skin does, so the damage accumulates, causing permanent vision problems. Be sure to wear sunglasses with lenses rated for 100% UVA and UVB protection that covers the entire eye area. The larger the glass frames the better, and wrap around styles give the best protection. Good sunglass coverage around your eyes also helps protect the most delicate skin you have-around your eyes. Celebrities don’t wear oversized sunglasses just for the style! You can purchase contact lenses that provide UV protection as well.

UVA rays can pass through glass so even sitting behind glass in your office or car will not protect you against damage from the sun. The rays that can get through glass may not burn you but in time will cause wrinkling. Take for example some curtains hanging in your window for years and how the fabric after a period of time begins to shred, but if that same fabric was not exposed to sunlight (even behind glass)it would retain its color with no damage to the fibers-the same is true for your skin. Tinted glass provides some protection but still doesn’t block out the rays completely and the percentage blocked depends on the type of tinting used. Even indoor fluorescent lighting can emit some UV rays. These UV rays also cause damage to hair, making it drier on the upper layers and fading color so don’t forget to protect your hair from rays as well. Even fingernails can suffer from the effects of the burning rays, with damage resulting in dry and brittle nails.