Reading news reports on more people suffering from damaged skin from UV rays are commonplace nowadays. All of us are just so vulnerable to the sun, but do you know your stuff about these harmful rays? This article will explain the effects and dangers of ultraviolet rays on your dry skin and the preventive measures you should take to protect yourself.

Ultraviolet Rays

First, here’s a quick science lesson on UV rays. Do you know there are actually three main types of ultraviolet (UV) rays? These UV rays are sub-divided into the following:

a. Ultraviolet A (UVA) – Least dangerous part of the wavelength.

b. Ultraviolet B (UVB) – Less dangerous compared to UVC

c. Ultraviolet C (UVC) – Most dangerous. Filtered out of the sunlight in the ozone layer

Skin Disorders

The most common type of damaged skin from UV rays is dry flaky skin. This mostly occurs when the skin is only slightly overexposed to ultraviolet radiation. The other most common but serious disease that can be caused by ultraviolet radiation is melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

Melanoma

To the naked eye, melanoma tumors have the same appearance as moles, if they have any color. Only a physical test on a suspected melanoma can actually determine if it is melanoma.

Untreated, the melanoma often spreads to the lymph nodes, and as it progresses, works its way to vital organs such as the lungs, liver and even the brain. Early treatment of melanoma involves removing the tumors while they are still relatively shallow in the skin.

Once the melanoma begins to spread, traditional anti-cancer methods are often used to treat the condition. The lighter a person’s skin is, the more susceptible it is to all kinds of ultraviolet damage.

Protect Your Skin

The easiest method to prevent damaged skin from uv rays is simply to stay out of the sun for extended periods of time, especially during the peak hours of sunlight.

While it is recommended that a person put on some form of sun block products when being outdoors for more than hours during the prime sunlight hours of noon to three in the afternoon, very few people really do this.

Always follow the directions for whatever brand of sunscreen you choose to use, and limit your exposure to sun to prevent any damaged skin as a result of UV rays. For more practical sun skin care tips, see sunburn relief.

Back from Damaged Skin from UV Rays to Dry Skin Care Guide Homepage