It was only a few years ago that most people thought that baking themselves in the sun was a innocent way to spend summer, and why not? Who could shake the temptation to loose that pale winter skin and replace it with deliciously darkened tones. Especially when you could lie amongst all those hot bronzed bodies at the beach.

These perceptions have altered drastically in recent times. The average person understands of some of the dangers of prolonged sun exposure thanks to increased media coverage and ad campaigns. But do fully grasp the totality of the effects the sun can have on our skin?

THE POSITIVES OF UVBs

The most beneficial gift the sun gives to the human body is often ignored. That is, short UVB rays are a primary deliverer of Vitamin D. So what does Vitamin D do for the body? Vitamin D protects and increases the survival rates against a wealth of internal cancers such as colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer, as well as many other diseases.

THE NEGATIVES OF UVs

To balance the leader, it is important to note that exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging, as well as a plethora of other skin changes.

UV radiation is the number one instigators of:

Collagen breakdown - causing the formation solar scars and increasing the development of wrinkles

Free radicals - which damage cell function and alter genetic material such as RNA and DNA of the cell, which in turn increases wrinkles.

Texture Changes Caused by the Sun - causing a thickening of the skin that increases coarse wrinkles and yellow discoloration of the skin; along with a thinning of the skin that causes fine wrinkles, easy bruising, and skin tearing.

Pigment Changes Caused by the Sun - enhances the occurance of freckles, and age spots or liver spots on the backs of the hands, chest, shoulders, arms, and upper back.

THE SEVERITIES OF UVs

Whereas the more severe effects of UV radiation include:

Skin Bumps Caused by the Sun - put another way, an increased number of moles and precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses, along with seborrheic keratosis which appear as warty lesions stuck onto the skin.

Skin Cancer Caused by the Sun - such as the 3 major skin cancers: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. All of which have the capacity to be fatal.

PROTECTING SUN DAMAGED SKIN

The simplest means of protecting against sun damaged skin is to avoid any unnecessary exposure to the sun's harmful rays. Moreover, there are a number of natural skincare creams available that assist in counteracting the harsh damage caused by the sun.