Sunskin

What is the big fuss about wearing sunscreen…is it really that important?

Well, maybe you can decide after the following simple explanation…

Every day, the sun emits three different types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

UVA causes AGEing

  • It accounts for up to 95% of the UV radiation that reaches the earth.
  • It penetrates through clouds…YES, even overcast clouds and glass windows.
  • Exposure to UVA causes brown sunspots, wrinkles, sagging skin due to collagen loss, and some types of skin cancers as these rays penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, the dermis.
  • What’s more – it is around us the entire year, summer, winter, rain, or sunshine. UVA levels stay exactly the same!

UVB causes BURNing

  • This little sucker causes the burn…
  • It penetrates the epidermis, the top layer of your skin, and causes redness, painful burning, skin damage, skin spots and ultimately skin cancer.
  • It also causes collagen loss and damage to your DNA.

More Info

Lastly, UVC causes all types of cancers, but fortunately for us does not penetrate the earth’s atmosphere…so unless you’re an astronaut, you should be fine.

Then, for all of you who claim that you are never outside…..

Have you heard about High Energy Visible (HEV)  Light, often referred to as blue / violet light? These are your fluorescent lights, flat-screen TVs, computer screens, smartphones, electronic notebooks, and other digital devices that induce inflammation in the skin and cause oxidative damage, resulting in major long-term effects on your health and aging.

Here are some alarming statistics as quoted by The Skin Cancer Foundation:

  • More than 2 people die of skin cancer in the United States every hour.
  • Having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for skin cancer.
  • The scalp is the most common place for skin cancer in men, and for women, the chest area is most common.
  • 90% of skin aging is caused by the sun.

Therefore, UV damage to your skin, leads to pain, inflammation, hyperpigmentation, increased risk of dread diseases and premature aging, resulting in thinning of the skin, wrinkles, darkening of spots, growths, red areas and rough spots.

Broad-spectrum (SPF) offers protection from UVA and UVB and although devastating, these only make up 10% of the full spectrum of solar radiation. Normal SPF fails to protect your skin against the destructive high energy Visible Light radiations. The constant daily and direct exposure to these, is incredibly damaging to the skin in the long term which is why a full-spectrum sun protection is vital.

We are extremely passionate about sun protection at Canvas Aesthetics. When the damage is done, it’s extremely difficult to undo, and if the damage is extreme, it can be fatal!

Daily application of a quality full-spectrum sun protection is therefore non-negotiable, whether you are indoor or outdoors, winter or summer.