|
The dark Side of Tanning:
How the Sun Damages Your Skin
Provided by:
 The warmth of the sun can be
very alluring. Many people can't
resist spending hours outdoors,
basking in the sun.
But in reality, not all of the
sun's rays are equally pleasing.
Ultraviolet light — the
invisible but intense rays of
the sun — damages your skin. You
can see some of that damage
right away in the form of a
suntan or sunburn. But other
harmful effects, such as liver
spots or deep wrinkles, appear
later and worsen over time. With
repeated sun exposure, your skin
damage can even progress into
cancerous tumors.
From the first clue that your
skin has undergone a change to
the development of cancer, find
out how the sun damages your
skin and what you can do about
it.
The first signs of skin damage
You're likely familiar with two
of the more common sun-induced
changes to your skin: suntan and
sunburn. But you may not know
that the darkening and reddening
of your skin are the first signs
of skin damage.
Suntan
A suntan is the result of injury
to the epidermis, the top layer
of your skin. A tan develops
when ultraviolet light
accelerates the production of
melanin. Melanin is the dark
pigment in the epidermis that
gives your skin its normal
color. The extra melanin —
produced to protect the deeper
layers of your skin — creates
the darker color of a "tan." A
suntan is your body's way of
blocking out the ultraviolet
rays to prevent further injury
to the skin, but the protection
only goes so far.
Sunburn
Eventually, ultraviolet light
causes the skin to burn,
bringing pain, redness and
swelling. Depending on the
severity of the burn, the dead,
damaged skin may peel away to
make room for new skin cells.
Though the symptoms of sunburn
may fade after several days, the
damage to your skin remains. Sun
exposure that is intense enough
to cause a burn can also damage
the DNA of skin cells. This
damage sometimes leads to skin
cancer.
Illustration of the layers of
your skin
Ultraviolet light can damage all
layers of your skin: the
epidermis, dermis and
subcutaneous tissue (fat). To
protect itself from damage, your
skin increases the production of
melanocytes, which produce the
dark brown pigment, melanin. The
extra melanin makes your skin
look darker or suntanned.
More On This Topic
 Tanning beds: Are they safer
than the sun?
Getting a 'base tan': Does it
help prevent sunburn?
Photoaging: Looking older than
you are
Over the years, your skin
naturally begins to show signs
of aging. For example, you may
notice more wrinkles and
thinner, more fragile skin.
Exposure to ultraviolet light
can also cause these accelerated
changes and make you appear
older than you are. Skin changes
caused by the sun are called
photoaging.
The results of photoaging
include:
Weakening of connective
tissues, which reduces the
skin's strength and elasticity
Thinner, more
translucent-looking skin
Deep wrinkles
Dry, rough skin
Fine red veins on your cheeks,
nose and ears
Freckles, mostly on the face
Large brown lesions (macules)
on the face, back of hands,
arms, chest and upper back
(solar lentigines, or liver
spots)
White macules on the lower
legs and arms
Serious skin damage:
Noncancerous and cancerous skin
tumors
Extended and repeated exposure
to ultraviolet light can cause
noncancerous (benign) and
cancerous skin tumors:
Seborrheic keratoses. The
precise cause is not known but
these lesions are seen in aging
skin. These tan, brown or black
growths have a wart-like or
waxy, pasted-on appearance and
range in size from very small to
more than 1 inch (2.5
centimeters) across. Typically,
seborrheic keratoses don't
become cancerous, but they can
resemble skin cancer.
Actinic keratoses. Also known
as solar keratoses, actinic
keratoses appear as rough,
scaly, brown-to-dark-pink
patches. They're definitely
related to sun exposure and are
most commonly found on the face,
ears, lower arms and hands of
fair-skinned people whose skin
has been damaged by the sun.
Many doctors consider actinic
keratoses to be precancerous
because they may develop into
skin cancer.
Skin cancer. Skin cancer
develops mainly on areas of skin
exposed to a lot of sun,
including your scalp, face,
lips, ears, neck, chest, arms
and hands, and on the legs in
women. Some types of skin cancer
appear as a small growth or as a
sore that bleeds, crusts over,
heals and then reopens. In the
case of melanoma, an existing
mole may change or a new,
suspicious-looking mole may
develop. Other types of melanoma
develop in areas of long-term
sun exposure and start as dark
flat spots that slowly darken
and enlarge, known as lentigo
maligna. See your doctor if you
notice a new skin growth, a
bothersome change in your skin,
a change in the appearance or
texture of a mole, or a sore
that doesn't heal within two
weeks.
Bottom line: Keep your skin
healthy
To be most effective, start
protective measures in early
childhood. But all people,
regardless of age, should take
the necessary steps to protect
their skin. For the most
complete sun protection, use all
three of these methods — in
order of importance:
1. Avoid the sun during
high-intensity hours. The sun's
rays are most damaging from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Reduce the time
you spend outdoors during these
hours.
2. Wear protective clothing.
Cover your skin with clothing,
such as long-sleeved shirts,
long pants and wide-brimmed
hats. Also, keep in mind that
certain clothing styles and
fabrics offer better protection
from the sun than do others. For
example, long-sleeved shirts
offer better protection than
short-sleeved shirts do just as
tighter fabrics are better than
those that are loose.
3. Use sunscreen. Apply
sunscreen liberally 20 minutes
before going outdoors and
reapply every two hours, after
heavy sweating or after being in
water.
You don't need to hide away
indoors to protect your skin.
Just be smart about your sun
exposure and take precautions to
keep your skin healthy for years
to come.
© 1998-2006 Mayo Foundation for
Medical Education and Research (MFMER).
All rights reserved. A single
copy of these materials may be
reprinted for noncommercial
personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo
Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "Mayo
Clinic Health Information,"
"Reliable information for a
healthier life" and the
triple-shield Mayo logo are
trademarks of Mayo Foundation
for Medical Education and
Research. |
Related Products
