Few of us would dream of heading off sunnier climes without having packed our sunscreen, but do you know your UVA from your UVB? Or even the best protection for your skin? Aesthetics and skin damage expert DR CLAIRE OLIVER (BDS) offers advice on keeping all members of the family safe in the sun.
There’s no doubt that the sun makes us feel good; just think of how your mood lifts when you step off the plane on your holidays and feel that wonderful wall of heat for the first time.
Sunshine has a definite uplifting effect on our mood. It provides us with essential vitamin D, improves circulation and increases metabolism and productivity. So what’s not to love? Well, excessive exposure can be very harmful and the damage this can cause is not something we can ignore. Unprotected and excessive exposure to the sun’s damaging rays can have both short and long-term consequences, leading to premature ageing, immune suppression and, most dramatically, skin cancer.
