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Sunscreen

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Why do we use sunscreen?

Sun poses many dangers to our health, particularly on our skin. The sun releases harmful radiation which can permanently damage the skin and can cause skin cancer, precancerous changes in the skin, as well as premature wrinkling and signs of aging. Apart from these effects it causes the usual sunburn.

A sunburn is basically a burn which is caused by too much exposure to the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.
Like other burns, sunburns can cause first degree burns, which are the most common type. With a first degree burn, a child's skin will be red and painful, but there will be no blisters. More severe or deep sunburns can lead to second degree burns, with the formation of blisters on the skin, and more rarely, third degree burns.

Excessive exposure to sun is bad because of ultraviolet radiation, 90 percent of which comes in the form of Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays that are not absorbed by the ozone layer and penetrate deep into our skin. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays make up the rest. UVB rays are partially absorbed by the ozone layer, which makes preserving the ozone layer crucial for our health. And because UVB rays don’t penetrate our skin as deeply, they can cause those lobster-red sunburns. Both types of UV rays are thought to cause skin cancer.

Some of the possible mechanisms for UV skin damage are collagen breakdown, the formation of free radicals, interfering with DNA repair, and inhibiting the immune system.

To prevent this, the most important skin-care product available is sunscreen. Sunscreen is any substance or material that protects the skin from UV radiation. Sunscreen combines organic and inorganic chemicals to filter the light from the sun so that less of it reaches the deeper layers of your skin. Sunscreens are available in the forms of topical lotion, cream, ointment, gel, or spray that can be applied to the skin.

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