The increasing number of clients requesting treatment and remedies for pigmentation problems is a clear indication that sun protection is not working for many people or prehaps that sun protecton is not understood so lets talk.
Sun exposure can cause skin damage and ageing.
Most of us have become used to using sun creams or screens but many are messy to apply, irritating to the skin and are not providing the necessary protection. We must read the small print on each product. What does high protection mean? Individual brands set their own Sun Protection Factor scale in the absence of a national standard so question what ‘high’ protection actually means. SPF only measures U.V.B. rays. SPF is measured at 2.mg of product over a square centimeter( cm/2). If the sunbather only applies 0.5mg of suncream the levelof protection plummets.When clients come into Daydreams with dense brown markings on their face after a holiday but insist they wore sunblock 50 at all times I KNOW it has been not been a block or insufficent was applied or it was not applied frequently enough.The sun has got through. Even the best sunblock is not going to acheive full protection. This is why a peaked cap or hat can offer shade for the face. Areas of the face that are frequently presented with hyper pigmentation are the upper lip and the cheek bone. The lip can loose protection (if it has been applied to the area under the nose) by perspiring or wiping the mouth after eating or drinking. Hair that has been waxed or bleached on the uppper lip will have left the underlying skin vulnerable to sun damage. Sun glasses shift sun block aound the eyes and their reflective nature bounces the sun ray’s on to the prominent area of the cheek bones.
Ultra Violet Radiation is complex.
U.V.C. rays are blocked by the ozone layer.
U.V.B rays are burning rays and hit the skin surface. Many sun creams are designed to do no more than stop sun burn.
U.V.A. rays are many times more powerful than U.V.B. They can penetrate cloud, glass and clothing and penetrate deep into the skin. They are a primary cause of photo ageing and cause damage to underlying tissue. You may need to protect yourself if working by the window or in the car.
When choosing an effective sunblock select broad spectrum coverage to address both U.V.A and U.V.B. rays. Remember the average sunbather does not apply sufficient protection. Sun screens must provide a physical barrier to the sun’s rays. Zinc and titanium oxide are two non- irritating and active ingredients in sun protectors and ideal for all skin types. SKINCEUTICALS (stocked at Daydreams) produce a range of award winning broad spectrum sun-blocks that are cosmetically pleasing to all skin types and contain high concentrations of transparent zinc oxide. Most sunscreens cannot completely protect you from U.V.A. rays but broad spectrum blocks with a SPF factor of 30/35 give a very high level of protection. Remember you are at risk by the window and in the car. Photo-ageing is when environmental factors, especislly ultra violet rays, attack the structure of the skin causing lines and wrinkles to appear.
Some important facts
UVA RAYS MAY CAUSE DNA MUTATIONS THAT LEAD TO FORMS OF SKIN CANCER
UVA RAYS GENERATE FREE RADICALS THAT BREAK DOWN COLLAGEN AND CAUSE PREMATURE AGEING
UVA RAYS GO TO ALL LAYERS OF THE SKIN
UVA RAYS PENETRATE GLASSSUNLESS TANNING.
THESE ARE THE PROBLEMS. WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?
Broad band sun blocks
Protective clothing
Sunless tanning ..ZEN TAN SPRAY TAN
“The sun has got his hat on and is going out to play and so should YOU.”
